Hogwarts, A Mystery
by marione25
Summary: A veiled attacker haunts the castle seeking for revenge for an injustice many years ago. In an alternative 6th year, Harry returns to Hogwarts grieving the loss of his godfather. Walk with Harry with the DA members in the midst of the night to solve a mystery of a woman garbed in a bloody wedding dress. And through it, he will learn the depths of a friendship bounded by a secret.
1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

 **Greetings!**

 **An original concept applied to the Harry Potter world.**

 **The story is set in Harry Potter's 6th year as I've written this right after OOTP book came out. There have been A LOT of changes in certain scenes, chapters, characters, etc but the plot remains the same and as it were several years ago when I first wrote it and posted it on the original Harry Potter boards.**

 **Took some time for me to edit certain chapters as the revision I had to create was massive seeing and rereading that I've written this waaaaay back when I was a teenager I guess and my writing has been nothing but complete shit. Not that it is perfect nowadays.**

 **Will take some time for me to update as I have another life outside the fanfiction world - I'm a musician and music teacher in my chosen profession. But I do update and don't abandon my works.**

 **Hoping to hear everyone's point on this take.**

 **Lots of love**

 **xx**

 **Introduction**

The boy who lived journeys back to Hogwarts, the only place he called home just months after the recent death of his godfather, Sirius Black.

Harry's heart is still in rage; filled with grief, guilt and regrets after the death of his beloved godfather. And this year, the burden inside of him would weigh even more as he returns to Hogwarts.

Cho Chang's angry with him thinking that Harry now hates her for the betrayal she has done; his suspension from the Quidditch games because of his lack of focus at his devastated state; the new DADA professor who is seemingly worse than anyone they've ever had before and one who seemingly harbors a secret of her own; the Potions Master's scrutinizing attribute and his hatred for Harry that seems to grow at every Occlumency lesson; his lack of communication from the Order of the Phoenix where he thinks they could no longer trust him with plans; Remus Lupin's seeming indifference towards him after the death of his last remaining bestfriend and the thread of the Dark Lord's growing power.

But all is never enough. For there are certain things this year at Hogwarts that is about to get worse and deadlier than ever before - not just for the Boy Who Lived but for everyone else as well.

Hermione and Ron tries everything to cheer him but the loss seems too much that Harry draws away from his friends and their worry only heightens at Harry's alarming behavior.

Only he could see a dark-haired handsome man who seemingly points to one direction and soon, he hears a mysterious humming melody and a misty figure garbed in a bloody wedding dress appears. Crimson blood then is spilled everywhere as a warning that it is about to claim a life. But when Harry tries to tell someone about all of it, the mysterious apparitions disappear.

Even his friends begin to abandon him in belief that because of grief, he has finally ran mad. Until one by one, students and staff begin to receive the same threats and claims to see the same apparitions that Harry sees. Whispers and murmurs spread that a legendary woman called the bride of Judas returns at Hogwarts seeking revenge until the misty figure garbed in a bloody wedding dress is proven to be a human by its almost victim.

The rumors had turned into pranks that turned into a conclusion that someone at Hogwarts had become obsessed into bringing the legendary killer into life by eliciting the same method it does. But pranks soon die as attacks become more serious, more haunting.

Someone at Hogwarts rolls the 30 silver coins to warn and initiate the murder. But who amongst the many faces with different motives could be the real culprit behind the bloody veil?

A secret past in the time of the Marauders draws the Golden trio deeper into the mystery that makes Harry feel terrified that after every attack, he only becomes closer to the culprit that he simply never suspects.

Walk with Harry in the midst of the night as he reunites with Dumbledore's Army in order to solve the mystery that is haunting the once safest place in the Wizarding World. And in doing so, foes must become allies in revisiting the past that will link all the clues together to end all the deaths that are already in order.

Who is the face behind the veil of Judas' Maiden?

Unveil the ntriguing face of the culprit that returns fear to those who dwell within the walls of Hogwarts but be careful- because even within the ancient, powerful and protected walls of Hogwarts, there will be and will always be a danger that awaits those curious eyes..

And at the end of the line, Harry and his friends will learn the true depths of an undying friendship without betrayal and the secret that binds them all to their grave.

There are some secrets best kept forever in the name of trust and dignity. And there are secrets that are not only vital, but could be as deadly as those who keep them.

A story that draws itself from the past that started from an old secret – a secret that grew out of the extremes of: Greed. Anger. Hatred. Regret. Pride. Vengeance. Death.

Trust is vital. Trust is fatal.


	2. Prologue

July 13th 1977..

A terrifying scream echoed throughout the empty halls of the church that momentarily downed the sound of cries from within its aged old pillars.

And then there was silence.

But it too was broken after a while. It was disrupted by sounds of people running, of whispers of panic and fear and the trail of imminent danger that was left behind.

A long blood trail was shimmering from an open confession box along the marble floor leading down the aisle of the cathedral altar.

Blood stained the carpeted marble floor as the crying echoed, tears staining the beautiful face of the handsome young man or what was left of his life before his eyes opened in a blank stare signifying that there was no more life in them.

He lay dead in the arms of a beautiful young girl as his bloody body stained her beautiful wedding dress.

She was crying, crying desperately, begging for help as she held him dear and close to her breaking heart. But she knew that even if she cried blood, there was no more life she could revive.

He was long gone.

Suddenly, the gigantic oak doors of the cathedral opened with great force and people started forcing their way through in rage, in screams of anger and accusations as they condemned the girl that lay on the floor with the lifeless man in her arms.

"Take her!" they screamed. "Take her! Take her! She's a curse in this town!"

Shuffling of feet, sounds of hurried steps and the heat from their torches filling in the room.

"Burn her!" one of them screamed. "Burn her to death! Murderer!"

They stared and pointed at her, fearful yet drawn by their hatred, they forced their way in to take the man from her and take her by the arms.

Distraught, panic-stricken and afraid, the girl was unable to defend herself as the man was forcibly taken from her and she was dragged off her feet as she was forced out of the bloody hall.

"No!" she begged them as she tried to weigh herself down so they won't be able to drag her but there were a lot of them "No! Please, please! I didn't murder him! I didn't murder him!"

The townspeople paid no attention to her as they continued to carry her out of the hall all the while condemning her to death, cursing her name to the depths of hell.

"I didn't murder him!" her screamed grew more desperate, louder as she knew that they were going to punish her for a crime she never and would never commit. "I didn't kill him! I wouldn't kill him!"

"Bring her to death!" an old woman screamed and then a stone was thrown at her.

She cried as it hit the side of her beautiful face, creating a small gash to it. Soon, more stones were thrown at her direction.

"Death!" they screamed. "She is the curse of this town!"

"I'm innocent!" she screamed back at them as they dragged her halfway out of the hall. "You don't – you don't understand-" she cried at them. "I'm innocent – I'm – please, wait – I didn't do it - I'm innocent – I can – I can prove it! I'M INNOCENT! Please! I would never harm him, never! I wouldn't kill him – please- "

She tried to fight harder, kicking as she was held strongly by her arms with the other men pushing her forward ensuring that she was taken out of the place.

"Murderer! You killed him! You are a curse! She is a witch!" someone had screamed very loudly. "She is a witch! You've been a curse to this town – you're Judas' Maiden!"

"NO!" she screamed louder, this time fear was more evident in her eyes as if she knew what punishment was given to this crime. "NO! NO! I'm not-"

There was a sudden halt in their march as someone tall in a hooded cloak came forward and grabbed her painfully.

"Murderer." the visible lips from under the hood whispered clearly to her. "I told you that you will pay for everything."

Her eyes narrowed in understanding at the familiar voice. But she couldn't be too sure.

"No!" she screamed. "I'm innocent – I'm – no, please, please-" she kicked and cried even more desperately, her wedding gown at all ends already with her veil halfway down from her head as she tried to turn her gaze, desperately seeking for something.

"Take her away." the deep and clear voice from under the hood came. "Ensure that she suffers for the life she has taken for granted."

And then her eyes widened at the assurance those words gave her.

"You!" she cried and this time out of anger. "You – you – please don't listen to him! Don't!"

She fought wildly against the townspeople to no avail as they dragged her out of the cathedral.

"This is a mistake!" she screamed. "This is a mistake! I'm innocent! I'm innocent – I didn't murder him!"

She fell to the ground in a dazed state, eyes blurry now and the heat of the surroundings making everything around her feel worse.

"Please." she begged. "Please. I didn't.. I'm innocent.. I wouldn't.. please.. I would never kill anyone.. I'm not a murderer.."

"You've been caught." pronounced loudly by someone who looked like the eldest man in the crowd. "You've been caught and seen at the very scene of the crime. Do you deny this? You are found with the dead man in your arms. You have slain a life-"

"I'M NOT A MURDERER YOU OLD MAN!" she screamed in fury as her head turned up towards the old man in the crowd. "YOU OLD DECAYING FOOL!"

The old man looked harassed but he stood his ground, more determined to have her burned at the stake.

"You are a witch." he had said. "You have bewitched him to fall in love with you and once your magic has broken you have decided-"

"I will never murder him!" she screamed angrily again. "I am not a murderer-"

"Do you deny you're a witch?" he accused pointing a finger at her face. "Then do you deny you're a witch-"

She stared back at him, unable to immediately answer him.

"I have my friends-" she said. "I have my friends here to prove to you I am innocent-"

"I am not asking about your friends." the man continued. "I asked if you deny you're a witch."

Her black eyes filtered with tears as she looked around her, around the crown, searching for faces she knew should be there.

"Do you deny-"

"I'm innocent-"

"Do you deny that you are-"

"I have not bloody killed him! I would never-"

"DO YOU DENY THAT YOU ARE A WITCH?!"

Hatred passed her eyes. There was no more fear, no more strength in them, no more love in them.

"Had I been one with a wand in my hand, you wouldn't be alive right now." she whispered in clear yet deadly voice.

Silence swept her surrounding as fear passed them.

Almost everyone stopped moving as they all stared at her, focused and waiting in both fear and anticipation if she was going to attack them.

But she didn't.

And then the momentary silence and stillness of the people gave way for her to see what she had been desperately trying to find in the crowd.

Her beautiful dark eyes caught sight of then people spread amongst the crowd, all looking fearful as they tried to blend and hide in the midst of the crowd. But their eyes bore one emotion – they would have done anything at that very moment to take her out from her position and protect her.

But they couldn't. None of them had enough courage to do so.

And she wanted to call them, to scream for help. But her love for them was beyond all of these.

She realized and knew too well the damage she could further do, she couldn't bring herself to endanger any of them.

She was not to betray any of them as none of them was to betray the other.

She caught back the stare of a pair of almost emotionless black eyes in the crowd. He looked back at her in grave pain and she lowered her head in a nod, in an understanding.

She felt the crowd dragging her again as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I'm innocent." she softly whispered in defeat. "I'm innocent. I'm not Judas' Maiden."

They took her away and once they were outside the premises of the cathedral, she saw a few men from the crowd take the man's lifeless body, taking him away from her forever.

"Please let me bid him goodbye.." she whispered softly tears streaking down her face. "Please."

But nobody listened.

Instead, she received a slap, she felt stones and dirt thrown at her.

And in her desperate state, she saw the man taken into an ambulance, taken away from her forever.

She was not able to bid him a proper goodbye. She was never going to see him ever again.

Her dark eyes narrowed, glinting in pain and in anger.

"You will pay for this." she whispered as policemen now came to take her. "You will pay for this!"

Stronger men held her but her anger grew as she turned to the crowd with fiery eyes.

"I will come back!" she screamed angrily as they apprehended her. "I will come back! I swear to his life, I swear to my own grave I will come back and I will avenge his life and take what is mine!"

Her voice screamed in anger and pain as her hands were cuffed behind her back as they dragged her in her bloody wedding dress and forced her to come with them.

In the crowd she was aware that she faces she knew were still there, listening to her screams of fury, watching her take all the blame of that night.

"I swear to avenge his life!" her screams echoed as rain started to come from the dark sky. "I will avenge his life and take life in return! I swear I will come back – I will come back for all of you and take back what is mine! I will return and take back what is mine! I will avenge what has been taken from me – I will come back and take back the life taken from me!"


	3. I

**Chapter One**

 **The Only Thing He Ever Wanted**

 ** _London, England.._**

 _…_ _..Twenty years later.._

Hogwarts Express took off in its usual departure at King's Cross on the first of September.

Harry Potter had watched as schoolmates and friends arrived with their family and companions before boarding the train.

Something felt even more empty this year.

He had stayed the remaining of the summer at the Weasleys' after only about two weeks at staying at the Dursleys.

At the Weasleys, they tried their best to make him feel comfortable, better – without having to relate or to mention as much what had transpired only several weeks ago.

Sirius Black was gone.

The last Marauder, his father's bestfriend, his godfather – gone forever.

Harry Potter sat alone inside a compartment at the very end of the train.

He didn't want to be disturbed and he certainly didn't want to hear the cheerful chatters of the people around him mostly excited to see their old friends.

There was nothing to cheer his mood, not even leaving the Dursleys for about a year and staying at Hogwarts, returning to his home.

His heart remained heavy all summer that he had taken and brought up until today.

He couldn't shake the feeling that Sirius' death was his fault. Not when it was an obvious probability tracing back to why it happened in the first place and ofcourse, Remus Lupin's obvious avoidance of him.

He had hoped that Lupin was the one to understand him, to understand it all better. But he felt that he was wrong to expect anything from the man.

He had been taken up that summer from the Dursleys and he expected Lupin to be part of the party to take him away.

But he wasn't present.

Kingsley had taken him alongside other Order members. And when he arrived at the Weasleys, he had half-expected him to be there, busy with meetings.

But he wasn't.

He had just left as Mrs. Weasley had told him. That he was quite busy with certain orders from the headmaster and with attempt to persuade his werewolf friends to join him inside.

Harry had even hoped for a note, anything to assure him that everything was fine between them but there wasn't anything that Lupin left for him which was mostly unusual.

He had always felt that he was Remus Lupin's favourite person next to his father, next to Sirius.

His godfather was gone forever and he couldn't take off the pain from Lupin nor from himself.

He wished himself dead as well after what he had obviously done to lead the situation to that.

He grieved day and out but he felt that all his grieving weren't enough – never enough – to bring back a life that has been taken.

Only if he listened to the Order.. if only.

"Mind if we join you?" asked a small voice.

He looked up and saw Hermione peeking through the compartment door with Ron behind her.

He nodded quietly and she quickly shuffled herself and Ron inside the compartment and locked it behind her.

"We've been looking for you, mate." Ron said as he took the bench opposite Harry's seat.

"I'm fine." Harry quietly said as he closed the small album by his side where the photo of the original Order was.

Hermione and Ron quietly watch him pack the things away and Hermione eyed Ron to signal not to say anything and act normal.

Harry obviously didn't want things he was feeling to be rather pointed at by others and most especially by his friends.

There was a little bit of reluctant chatter from Hermione and Ron since they were quite unsure if Harry was in the mood to talk or be social anyway – still, they tried.

By far, he answered their random queries about the two weeks he had spent at the Dursleys and Hermione had then asked what schoolwork they were able to accomplish at the Burrow when Harry was there already.

Ron had reasoned that it was called 'vacation' for a reason and Harry only mildly smiled at them both and told Hermione that he finished only a little of the assignment.

Normally, Hermione would push and argue on why he didn't finish but instead, she offered that when they get at school, she'd check what else he'd left to be done and review his work for any mistake she may find.

Harry didn't disagree at all. And in all honesty, Hermione almost wished he didn't.

He was now always either indifferent or rather someone who barely had anything to say to anyone or to simply quiet others, would agree with them.

"Hey Harry, did you know that Wood is visiting this year?" Ron asked him as he closed the door after buying from the trolley lady that passed by. "I only heard from Charlie. Someone donated and wanted to improve our Quidditch Pitch so when he heard, he volunteered to go."

"No, I didn't hear of it." Harry simply said as he shook his head from the chicken pastry that Hermione bought for him. "I'm thinking of quitting Quidditch."

"You're what?" Hermione and Ron asked together, eyes wide in alarm.

"Thinking of quitting the game." Harry repeated in a low tone not meeting their eyes as he settled himself by the window and stared outside. "But I'm going to talk to McGonagall quietly about it. I don't want a fuss."

"There will be a fuss." Hermione pointed out. "What's wrong? Why are you leaving the team?"

"I just don't want to play this year, that's all." Harry said as he looked away from them and pulled his extra robe closer to himself to keep him warm.

Hermione and Ron stared at one another.

The discussion about Harry's leaving the team was over before the two could comprehend.

Harry obviously didn't want anything to do with the sport because he was too depressed and right now to argument was valid either as he had ended the discussion.

Later, their compartment door opened and in came Ginny and Luna with a smile.

"Did you hear?" Ginny asked his brother. "Oliver Woord is visiting this year. Fred and George told me."

"Charlie must've owled them about it." Ron pointed out seeing the look on Hermione's face. "Not everyone knows of it maybe just us mostly."

"Most Gryffindors or so and so." Ginny said. "Anyway it'll be fun, don't you think?"

Hermione and Ron stared at one another as Ginny sat next to Harry. It seemed to have taken Harry a while to realize that Ginny was there in the room them.

The girl was well aware of Harry's new behavior and had been doing her best to ignore it and still try to cheer him up all summer but there was no saying to it.

"Do you wanna play some Exploding Snap, Harry?" she asked him quietly with a smile. .

"No, thanks." Harry kindly told him. "I would like to sleep."

Ginny didn't look disappointed at all.

She looked ready for that answer and looked patient enough to await Harry when he was ready to be with people again.

"Well, alright." Ginny said giving him a gentle pat over the shoulder. "I'll see you at the feast then, later?"

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked as she stood up to leave the compartment.

"Luna." Ginny said with a small excited smile. "We were discussing this thing on the Muggle headlines."

"What about the Muggle headlines?" Hermione quickly asked looking up at her.

"We were theorizing if the attack on this small Muggle provincial town was because of Death Eaters or something else."

"Attack of Death Eaters?" Ron asked interested with the subject. "What's it about?"

"Some distillery." Ginny told him brushing her hand up in the air at his lack of knowledge with these things. "Heiress just got back to take her distillery when it was almost burned down into the ground. Quite something like the Death Eaters would do."

"Oh, I've heard that one." Hermione said. "It was lastweek, wasn't it?"  
"Yup." Ginny said looking down at Ron's scowl. "How come you don't know this? Don't you read the papers?"

"I have things to do, thanks." Ron said as he turned to Harry. "I'm as busy as he is with preparing from school, right Harry?"

"Yeah." Harry absentmindedly answered them. "I've only heard of it, I have never read of the article."

Ginny smirked at Ron and Hermione tried not to laugh at it.

"Anyway, here Harry if you wanna read." Ginny said pulling up a small piece of newspaper article from her pocket. "It's from Luna. I was supposed to ask another friend about it but maybe you and Hermione has heard of it."

But Harry only looked completely disinterested about everything happening around him.

He only took a glance at the paper and gently handed it back to Hermione who read it with focus as Ginny sat next to her to point out several things about the news article.

"Curious." Hermione said as she read the part of the newspaper where above showed a picture of a beautiful woman with long black dark hair and beautiful eyes.

She looked no more than twenty at the photograph and then next to it was a photo of her years later.

She looked the same – skin pale white, long black hair but her eyes, though dark had seemed to be far different from the first photo.

It had a glint in it, a different kind of glow like all life or kindness had gone out from it.

All that was there in the pair of black eyes now was nothing but a focused gleam, a gleam like that one as if she had endured something terrible.

"What's up with her?" Ron asked as he sat at the other side of Hermione. "She looked like she came fresh out from Azkaban."

"Because she came out of Muggle prison." Hermione pointed out at the article beneath the photograph. "That's why this story is famous in the Muggle world. It says here that she's murdered a young man about two decades ago and now she's let out to take back the distillery as part of her inheritance."

"What's our world got to deal with her?" Ron asked as he pointed out the beautiful looking villa at the picture that was obviously what she has inherited from her family.

"You should read Ron." Ginny snapped at him. "It says here she's a Half-Blood. Obviously, our world is concerned of her getting out of Muggle prison."

"If she's a murderer why was she let out?" Hermione asked as she continued to read the article looking for that part and information on the page.

"She was given a pardon." Harry had answered out of the blue without looking away from the window. "She was supposed to receive a lifetime imprisonment but the twenty years she's been in there, she has not done anything to cause any other damage to her record."

They all looked at Harry, bewildered at the information he shared with them.

"The Dursleys kept watching the news about her the whole two weeks I was there." he simply explained to them. "I read papers about her when I cleaned the kitchens after they've read them. There are twice the amount of news and articles about her. It seems like a big deal in the Muggle world because it happened there two decades ago."

"She was withheld not at Azkaban?" Ron asked trying to look back at the article's photo of the woman.

"It says here that the crime was committed in the Muggle world." Hermione said. "And it only says here that she was arrested at an old town in London and then she was imprisoned there without a proper trial as she was found at the scene of the crime."

"That doesn't sound right." Ginny pointed out looking over Hermione's shoulder at the same photograph.

"It doesn't." Hermione said reading the article further. "But there were no claims of relatives and she also didn't vouch for an appeal. It's like…"

"She just all let it be." Harry finished in a dry tone. "I've seen her in the news and the old photograph in the Muggle papers. She looked very young when she was arrested, no more than twenty. Perhaps she didn't know much about the law or the Muggle law at the time."

They fell silent and stared at Harry. Unsure if they were in awe that Harry actually participated in the conversation or because of the information he shared with them.

After a few more while of debate on whether it was just to let her out, the trolley passed by again for lunch and despite that Harry ate and conversed a bit more with them, he still didn't join them thoroughly enough and was quiet as they got down at Hogsmeade village.

"Speaking of pardon, did you hear?" Ron whispered at Hermione as Harry was occupied with Ginny as they walked to the castle. "Malfoy?"

"I heard." Hermione said as he eyed Draco and his friends pass them by without a word. "His father's been pardon just two weeks before school. Unbelievable. I thought it was a no-bail?"

"Don't know." Ron said. "Dad was furious. He was able to bail himself out with a trial on-going at his tail. Narcissa Malfoy was at the Ministry the other day probably cleaning after her husband's mess.. Guess there are things the Malfoys can still buy. No matter, the Order is on his tail so he can't really just move in and out of their stupid manor."

"Speaking of the Order, I haven't heard from most of them. Everything alright?" Hermione curiously asked remembering how Harry asked about if she heard from Lupin or any of them in recent.

"Dad doesn't talk to us much about it but he's busy. Mom never lets anything out. Bill and Charlie though keep us in on some news. They say that the Order is working underground recruiting people. Bill and Charlie will visit this school year under guise of some alumni project but in truth, they'll be transferring news to Dumbledore. Mum only says that it's hard to transfer news unless by word. Who knows who could be reading letters nowadays."

"We can't really trust anyone now, can we?" Hermione asked in a low tone as she eyed the people around them walking up the grounds with them to the castle. "I can't believe we can't really trust everyone around us."

"Better believe it." Ron said as he helped her up the higher steps. "Because we're back at the dark ages."

When they entered the castle, students were only settling in and the teachers weren't all present at the staff table yet.

"Are we early?" Ron asked worried that dinner will be served late when he was very hungry already.

"No." Hermione pointed out. "Maybe we're only starting early."

Ron opened his mouth to say something when Neville came rushing at their side.

"Have you heard?" he asked breathlessly. "About the new DADA?"

"No." Hermione quickly said. "What's up?" she asked him as they all settled down to the Gryffindor table.

"Dean just told me. Said he overheard some Slytherins talking about it." Neville said as he hurriedly sat next to the trio with Ginny coming along at his side after bidding Luna goodbye as she walked to their own house table.

"Slytherins?" Ron asked. "What about the new DADA?"

"Says coming from the Muggle world." Neville said as they settled huddled together at their end of the table. "Unsure if Hogwarts graduate but she's coming from the Muggle world."

"She's a Muggle?" Ron asked shocked at the news. "She's a-"

"She came from the Muggle world, Ron." Hermione snapped at him giving him an angry looking. "Didn't say she's a Muggle. Seriously, Ron."

Ron opened his mouth to argue but Harry had joined in the conversation to quiet them down as he pointed that the teachers were now entering and settling down.

"Maybe a Muggle-Born." Harry simply said as Hermione moved closer to him as they watched Dumbledore enter with McGonagall at his side talking low behind him. "Or Half-Blood."

They stared as the teachers settled in with Snape the very last to enter the room and looking as vindictive as ever.

His black eyes swept the room, he looked slightly harassed and he gave Dumbledore a nod to apologize for they waited for a little while for him to arrive before everyone can settle properly and wait for the headmaster's opening of school year announcements.

"He would never change." Harry spitefully whispered at Hermione as Snape's gaze swept fast and past their table right at him. "I wish he dies first in this war."

"Harry." Hermione warningly told him. "I know he's not.. he's slightly terrible.. but he wouldn't- "

"If he didn't keep on goading Sirius that he's a coward we know that he would not have done-"

"It was Sirius choice to do that-"

"Are you telling me that it was Sirius' choice that he died?" Harry blurted out angrily at her that some of their friends stared at their part of the table.

"No." Hermione snapped completely output. "I'm telling you that Snape is in the Order and therefore we should trust Dumbledore."

Harry opened his mouth to argue more when the headmaster stood up to make his usual announcements and the talks and whispers quickly died down.

Harry gave Hermione a warning look before settling back down on the table with a frustrated look over his face.

"I'm sorry." Hermione said scooting closer him. "That's not what I meant."

"Forget it." Harry said giving her a nod. "Just forget it."

He knew that he was irate.

He wanted to be alone.

He didn't want to be in this feast tonight but they were buggering him to join them.

Harry's eyes returned up a the staff table and noted how Dumbledore seemed to look more tired, older than he had ever seen him.

Was the war taking a toll at him?

His eyes moved around to McGonagall who was in deep conversation with Flitwick and Sprout about something and Trelawney kept giving nervous glances around her as she sat next to professor Sinistra.

There was a blank chair between Sinistra and Snape and Harry was sure that's where the new DADA teacher was supposed to take her seat.

The headmaster stood up and opened up the Sorting Hat ceremony and the others waited in their exhaustion and hunger as the ceremony began and then took place to the finish.

Across the hall, Harry's eyes moved around and slowly fell to the Slytherin table.

Draco Malfoy was quiet, stout and seemingly undisturbed even by his friends. There was a different gleam in his eyes as he stared up at the table.

Harry could have missed it but he didn't – Draco had stared straight up ahead at Snape for which Snape returned with a curt nod and very slight movement of his head to tell him to pay attention to what was going on at the Great Hall.

Draco blinked and then he turned his head and suddenly, he stared right towards the Gryffindor table.

His eyes and Harry's quickly caught one another – that gleam in them heightened.

He didn't smile, he didn't smirk but he gave Harry a nod as if he was giving him a message about something.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked staring at the direction that Harry was looking at.

"Malfoy." Harry muttered looking away the moment that Draco blinked and looked away from him.

"What about him?" Hermione asked staring back at Draco who was back into a focused state staring up at the staff table as if waiting for something to happen.

Harry shook his head telling Hermione that it was nothing and pointed that the Sorting was nearly done and the headmaster was to make the announcements.

The headmaster stood up for his yearly announcements and reminders. He finally told the students that there were going to be a couple of changes in rules this year and that some familiar faces would be around this year for a couple more reasons.

The trio was sure that the 'familiar faces' would also include Lupin as they knew that the Order would be keeping a close watch at the school in guise of various of reasons in order to be closer to obviously protect Harry.

"An old Quidditch alumni will also be arriving to visit the school." Dumbledore had said with a smile and a nod towards the house tables.

"Wood." Ron reminded the other two. "Just like Charlie had said. Fred and George might make a visit as well. They've told us."

"Flint as well." Ginny snapped eyeing the Slytherin table. "I heard of it just before we got off the train. Probably because Wood is returning some people can't help but compete back again."

Hermione nudge them all to return their attention to the headmaster as he made a few more announcements before getting to introduce their DADA teacher this year.

"Finally, I would like to introduce our new teacher for the year." Dumbledore had said looking over the other end of the table with a slightly narrowed gaze upon realizing that the teacher wasn't there yet.

His eyes moved from the empty chair then at McGonagall who shook her head once with a blank stare back at him, obviously not knowing what to say.

His eyes settled on the chair an expression beyond wonder passed his face but it had quickly gone.

He turned back to the crowd with a small apologetic smile over his face as he opened his mouth to continue but then he was cut short.

His voice was drowned in as the double oak doors of the suddenly opened with a loud sound.

The interruption was so sudden that silence covered the whole hall as the headmaster was rarely ever interrupted at his speeches.

All heads turned to the entrance door of the Great Hall and for a moment, Harry was reminded when it was Hagrid who had done this. But he was way up at the staff table next to professor Sprout.

They waited as a silhouette stood by the entrance door as if waiting to be greeted by her entrance.

Slowly, the shadow moved forward and the silence around them was disturbed by the clicking of her boots.

Muggle boots.

"Wait. She looks – don't you think she looks very familiar?" Ron slowly asked as they all turned towards the door.

"Hold on a second." Hermione whispered back moving nearer the table to get a closer view. "Isn't that - isn't she that woman?"

"The woman in the news article?" Ginny asked in horror as they were almost so sure that it was her.

"She can't be our new professor, right?" Neville joined them as they all stared at the direction of the woman who was slowly entering and walking down the middle of the Great Hall by the aisle that led to the staff table.

A tall, long dark-haired woman with dark eyes slowly walked forward the room with her arms crossed together over her chest as if expecting some sort of attack.

All eyes were upon her but she didn't look like she gave a care about all of it. In fact, she entered and walked with her gaze focused only one direction – forward, towards the headmaster.

She walked slowly, taking all her time as if inhaling all the energy inside the room and as she passed the tables, even without looking at any of the students, she gave them a little bit of taste of fear and chills for some unknown reason.

Harry stared and couldn't help but wonder why she felt something unexplainable in him as his green eyes followed the direction the woman took as she headed towards the staff table.

She was seemingly in her late 20s or early 30s with her very long black hair tied in a very tight ponytail behind her back that slightly swayed as she took every step forward.

She had a pale complexion and an enigmatic aura around her as her black eyes gleamed, focused and almost unblinking as she entered the Great Hall.

But it wasn't her sudden entrance nor appearance that really silenced nor shock the room. No. they were both mesmerized and shocked by another reason and it was probably at the way she carried herself.

"Why is she wearing that?" Hermione asked the other two in a hushed whisper as they all stare at her as she passed the Gryffindor table and neared the high staff table.

They all stared hard on her physique as she neared and passed the Gryffindor and Slytherin table.

She wasn't wearing the normal witches' robes or any robe at all. She was wearing Muggle clothes.

She was wearing a pair of tight dark pants, a very dark purple long-sleeved blouse that was kept beneath an old-worn out looking denim jacket. And she paired everything with a big black Muggle boots that clicked at every step she took at the hall.

The silence was unnerving as she reached the table and only the headmaster looked down at her without any trace of fear or surprise over his face at the sight of her.

She stood tall a few feet from the staff table and even some of the faculty looked down at her with a slightly scared face as if she was some sort of plague that stood before them.

Her black eyes moved a little as she swept the staff table to acknowledge the older faculty before her and then her eyes stopped a bit longer over Snape's direction.

He looked back at her, his facial expression passive before she looked away from him and back at the headmaster.

"I apologize for the delay headmaster." the woman clearly stated as she uncrossed her arms before Dumbledore with a respectful nod again at the headmaster. "There was a problem in allowing me entry – seems like you've left your staff door locked."

And then without hesitation, she stared at the side straight at Snape's direction who looked back at her with a slightly stricken look as his lips curved and curl back at her.

"I will definitely look into it." Dumbledore simply told her with a twinkle in his gaze and then slowly, he gave her a nod and a smile and in a tone only they could hear he welcome her. "Thank you for accepting my invitation. Welcome back to Hogwarts, Laura."

Laura stared back at him without a blink, without a smile, without any emotion.

And then she gave him a very curt nod before turning to her left to reach her seat which was next to Snape who was still staring at her with a murderous looked for daring what she had done as she entered.

As she walked to her seat, the headmaster had straightened up and announced her as their new DADA professor.

"Finally, an alumni of Hogwarts herself." the headmaster had loudly told the still awestruck crowd. "Please welcome your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor – " he gestured towards Laura who had silently and formally nodded to the crowd without a smile as she settled on her chair.

"Please welcome professor Laura Veregnicea." Dumbledore said with an applause that wasn't immediately followed by neither the staff nor the students.

The applause had been given but in a very awkward and reluctant way. But Laura didn't seem to care or be bothered by it.

She sat on her chair without once glancing back at the others over the table and her face staring straight ahead but not looking at anyone in particular.

"And now, the only thing we are all really waiting for-" the headmaster said with a big smile. "Let the feast begin!"

It has taken Harry and the others quite some moment to regain themselves after seeing the new DADA professor. But soon, hunger took over and they ate like the rest of their schoolmates and staff at the Great Hall.

"Why would the headmaster hire her?" Ron asked the other two unable to take the idea off her mind. "I mean… She has a record. Did he miss the paper?"

"Obviously not." Hermione simply said eyeing Laura up at the table as she ate by herself and like Snape, talked to no one else. "But we know the headmaster. Professor Dumbledore has a record of hiring people of… unlikely pasts."

"But not a criminal." Ginny said. "This one has been quite guilty – she's been in prison for two decades. What does that tell about her?"

"She was pardoned." Hermione pointed out again. "That tells him something. It's not our business who he chooses."

"Yeah. I'm sure Snape and Umbridge were good choices, Hermione." Harry said unable to stop himself as he eyed Snape up at the table.

"That wasn't my point, Harry." Hermione said. "We all know that Umbridge was forced into this school last year. She wasn't handpicked by the headmaster-"

"And Snape?" Harry said looking back at her. "I'm quite sure this discussion had been done many times over. The headmaster chose Snape and he's still here despite everything he has done-"

"Because the headmaster has a reason for it, Harry." Hermione snapped back at him unable to stop herself too. "I don't understand why that's never really sink in to you."

"Oh, I don't know Hermione maybe because he kept being what he is – an arse for the world to see that the headmaster is bloody ignoring-"

Ron, Ginny and Neville immediately sensed the heat between the other two.

Hermione was never the one to really disagree with Harry and Harry was not really the one to be on Hermione's bad side however things recently, especially in regards with Snape was being a common argument between the two.

Hermione opened her mouth to argue further but Ron had suddenly turned his head and pulled their attention together.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?!" Ron had loudly exclaimed.

Most of the Gryffindors turned as Oliver Wood arrived in a formal Quidditch official uniform while Fred and George came right next to him and looking excited to see the others as they were greeted happily at their old table.

Ginny embraced both brothers.

"I knew it." she said as they greeted Harry. "You could have gone on the train with us."

"We're still considering now that Umbridge is gone." Fred had said taking the seat next to Neville while George took the one on Hermione's other side and Wood took the one next to Ron to be nearer Harry.

"The headmaster considered and offered we return." George had said taking a plate for himself and immediately adding food on it. "Well, since that woman is gone I think it's okay to return and finish our schooling."

"You're studying again?" Hermione excitedly asked them both.

"We're considering Hermione. Don't get yourself wet over that." Fred said giving her a wink which she only returned with a blushing smile.

"But how about the shop?" Ron asked him. "The one you just opened?"

"We made a deal with mum and dad." George said. "We told them we'll behave and keep the shop running and in return for their blessing on that, we'd consider going back to school. They've already talked to the headmaster about certain arrangements. Bill would be here to help out on that."

"Bloody amazing!" Ron said with a gleeful smile over his face. "We're all mostly going to be here for the school year!"

"Yeah, don't wet yourself too." George said messing up his younger brother's hair. Now come on. Let's eat. I'm really starving."

The feast began and continued on and the talks and excited chatters along all the tables flowed throughout the hour.

"You're not studying right?" Hermione asked turning to Oliver Wood who had settled near them at the table.

"Coaching." Oliver said. "We're doing some projects management for the old field and I'm eyeing potential future international players."

Oliver was proud then at that and then he looked at Harry's direction with a proud smirk but Harry only gave him a small smile and a nod.

He then immediately remembered what had happened about his godfather that he's heard of and quickly sent his sorry for hearing it and Harry only nodded at him.

"Saw Flint's back as well." George pointed out to remove Oliver's attention to Harry who was back in being indifferent towards the rest of them. "Coaching too?"

"Yes." Oliver said with a frown. "Young Malfoy also heard about the project management we're trying to build for the team so obviously they're trying to do the same. They've already donated a lot for the rebuilding of the locker rooms including the ones for the other players."

"Bloody git." Ron said shaking his head towards the Slytherin table as they huddled at the side where Draco was obviously boasting about the generous donation his family did this year for the school.

Rain began to pour as both students and teachers began leaving the Great Hall after dinner.

Prefects, Head Boy and Head Girls led students to their dormitories giving the passwords to their rightful housemates.

"I'm glad you've taken my offer, Laura." Dumbledore quietly said as they walked out of the hall using the back doors. "I am just simply glad you've taken my invitation after a while of consideration."

"Looks like the doors are now working well." Laura said as the headmaster opened a door for McGonagall and for her while her eyes settled on Snape who passed them without a word or a glance at her.

"Laura." Dumbledore quietly said to gain back her focus on him.

"I'm thankful." Laura answered in an almost bored tone as she nodded at him and at McGonagall. "But I'm not promising I'm finishing the term. I told you that I don't want to be here."

"But you are here." the headmaster pointed out at her. "And that's all that matters at the moment. I hope to change your mind soon."

They reached the corridor that led to the staffroom and Laura stood tall before the headmaster, arms crossed once more over her chest like a habit she couldn't shake off.

She only nodded at him.

"I can't say I'm very happy to be here, headmaster." Laura said and this time her tone was low and not spiteful in tune. "There are many things here.. I'm going to do my best to do my part of the bargain."

"And in return, I shall do mine." the headmaster promised her. "Are you sure there is nothing I can do to dissuade you into wearing something, comfortable?"

Laura almost smiled at him as she shook her head, her long and tight ponytail gently swaying behind her back.

"I'm already comfortable to where I am at. Don't push it." Laura said with a very short smile at the headmaster.

"Ofcourse she's comfortable." a very cold voice interrupted them. "In comparison to where she's been.. I think this is.. heaven for her."

The headmaster and Laura broke off their distance as Snape moved towards them with a glint in his eyes as if jealous that Laura was being given this attention by the headmaster.

"Snape." Laura whispered his name through gritted him as she crossed her arms over her chest again and stood tall.

Her height was very close to Snape already and standing next to her, he was only a few inches taller than her.

"Laura." Snape greeted her back with a smirk as her eyes narrowed when he called her by her first name. "Comfortable and enjoying your stay back here at Hogwarts?"

"Just like the old days." Laura answered him with a vindictive tone in her voice this time.

"Severus." the headmaster's voice interrupted their deadly glare towards one another. "I would like to ask you about the books I asked to be taken from the shop you knew at Diagon Alley."

Snape almost didn't answer but Laura had interrupted him before he the headmaster could say anything else.

"I would like to excuse myself, headmaster." Laura said straightening up. "I am too tired to join the faculty meeting tonight. I'm sure you understand my journey has been long."

"I understand." Dumbledore said. "Go and have some rest. I will have any important discussion tonight be noted to you by professor McGonagall in the morning. Your books are in order?"

"Yes." Laura answered. "Professor McGonagall kindly took care of all of it. She also showed me earlier the dormitory I'm going to use for the school year."

"I asked her that she gives you the one nearest your house before." the headmaster clarified.

"She has given me exactly that." Laura said and with a curt nod, she bid the headmaster goodnight and gave Snape a glare before turning away from the two of them without another word.

Laura had only been gone, out of earshot and out of sight for a split second before Snape sharply turned at the headmaster with a very scary glint in his eyes.

"What were you thinking?" he said almost spitting the words out at the headmaster's face. "Are you out of your mind?"

Dumbledore only stared blankly at him, a calm look over his face.

"I don't understand, Severus." the headmaster simply said. "We needed a new teacher for the position-"

"Why her?" he demanded coldly as he followed the headmaster down the corridor as he started walking away from him, obviously not wanting to talk about the topic at hand. "Why her?"

"She is fit for the job, Severus." the headmaster replied as he stopped and slowly turned at Snape. "You know I could not give you that job."

He looked his Potions Master in the eye with an almost apologetic look from his own eyes.

"That wasn't my point." Snape said. "You could have taken anyone – anyone – but her."

"Past is past." the headmaster told him simply. "I made it very clear to her that I do not want problems. And she made it very clear to me that she would like to be away from that life-"

"You don't know her." Snape said almost begging him to listen to his whims. "You don't know her, headmaster. You don't understand – I know her-"

"I know you do." the headmaster pointed out at him and this time a serious gaze was over his eyes. "If there is anyone in this castle right now who knows her more, who knows her better or best, it will be only you. Do not underestimate me of the history I know of, Severus."

Snape didn't answer.

He looked both hurt and insulted at those words.

"I'm trying to keep you safe, headmaster."

"And I know I am safe with you around."

Snape still didn't look tired of fighting for what he was trying to tell the headmaster.

"Are we done?" the headmaster quietly asked him. "I would like to begin our meeting for tonight so we can finish early."

Snape stared at him, disbelieving with the way he was treating him at the moment.

"Why do you trust her?" he asked him quietly without hiding the hatred over his face.

"Why did you?" the headmaster asked back without a second thought, without a blink.

Snape's mouth opened for a retort but no word came out of it.

"Come Severus." the headmaster said knowing that Snape was already defeated in the discussion. "Let us not argue about things we can do nothing about or rather understand."

"You gave her a chance." Snape blurted out unable to contain himself as he fought harder over the subject. "You gave her a chance knowing what exactly she is and where she has come from!"

This time, a look of slight anger came to pass from the headmaster's eyes.

It vanished as quickly as it had come.

"Did I not give you the same privilege, Severus?" he quietly and calmly asked him. "Have I not given you the same chance she is enduring and basking on right now?"

Snape looked defeated but the look of hatred in his face didn't ebb away.

"This is different." Snape said. "You know what she's done.. where… you know you're endangering the students by trusting her to teach within these walls!"

"I have given you the same position – the same chance – knowing what you were and where you came from." the headmaster answered him with a serious note to his tone. "Regardless of what you have done, despite it all – I gave you the same chance and allowed you to teach in this very premises you fear she will be teaching in."

Snape's anger seemed to heighten but McGonagall had come walking down the corridor with an utmost look over her face as she reached them

"We are ready for the meeting." she had said. "Is there any problem here?"

Her gaze went from the headmaster then to Snape and back again.

Snape shook his head at McGonagall before swiftly sweeping past her with his large black robes billowing behind him.

"Anything for you to comeback," Harry whispered in his dreams.

He suddenly awoke hearing the hammering of the rain over the castle roofs and the castle windows. Their dormitory was darkened and he could hear the sleeping snores of his roommates. He stared at the hourglass next to Ron's table and saw that it was past midnight already..

He again had that nightmare of losing Sirius.

Most of the time he is sleeping, he would dream of Sirius and he would dream of the way and reason he was taken from him.

"I'll do anything," Harry whispered turning at his side, holding close beneath his pillow the knife Sirius had given him. " _I'll give anything for you to come back_.."

Harry slowly fell back asleep, tightly holding in his hand the knife and in his heart, tightly holding onto Sirius' and the life they could have had, he could have had.

"I wish you're back." Harry cried in his sleep unable to contain the loneliness and grief inside of him. "I wish more than anything for you to come back and I would do anything just to see you again."


	4. II

Author's Notes:

Fresh new chapter!

I've been terribly busy lately because of the upcoming music recital of my students. And today, I got up really early to do this and finish some other errands and cancelled out work because my piano will finally be brought in my apartment at the highrise from my mom''s old house.

So yay for that.

How is everyone doing? Halfway through the week. You'll make it guys.

PS

I already fixed the shitty formatting problem on my posts of this story at so you can check it out for those who prefer reading at that site.

Other than, lots of love

xx

 **Chapter Two**

 **Visitors**

"Why did you not wake me up?" Harry irritably asked Hermione and Ron as he reached the Great Hall for breakfast.

He had a terrible night filled with nightmares that he barely had a good sleep that he was able to go through a comfortable sleep late morning.

"First period is not for another hour." Hermione informed him as she handed him his ready-made drawn up schedule she made the previous night for the three of them.

"Thanks." Harry said taking it to read and giving her a genuine smile to thank her and to apologize for the previous night's slight argument.

"It's nothing." Hermione said with a small smile back at him giving him the look that clearly said 'It's over and done. Let's begin again' kind of morning look.

"You were dreaming the whole night." Ron said as he ate through his breakfast.

He quickly stopped speaking when Hermione gave him a dark look.

"Sorry." Ron said giving Harry a reluctant look. "You were dreaming."

"Nightmares." Harry told the two of them knowing he can't hide from it. "Been having it all summer. I don't know how to get rid of it."

Hermione and Ron looked at one another knowing that this was all due to the emotional effect of Sirius' death on Harry.

"You'll be fine." Hermione confidently said staying positive. "Once the school gets tough, you'll be too tired and you'll get a better sleep through the night."

"I hope so." Harry said in a mournful look as he folded his paper with the schedule. "Because I can't go through the year like this."

"How come we're having Potions first?" Ron asked as he read through his schedule. "I thought that's afternoon tomorrow?"

"Change of schedule was on the board this morning at the Common Room." Hermione said. "I told you two to keep on reading that board for useful and important announcements."

"So why the change?" Ron asked obviously wanting to skip all other information.

"Didn't say." Hermione answered him with a raised brow. "They usually change when teacher has somewhere to go or important thing to do. I guess professor McGonagall has something to do for the headmaster. She almost never switches schedule. She's supposed to be the first period."

Ron continued reading through the schedule while Hermione kept telling them about the preparations they have to make for the upcoming assignments and the schedule of library work day they should be in.

While Ron remained uninterested, Harry remained quiet and indifferent towards the two of them.

"I was not able to book the Quidditch field for the first season practice schedule." Ginny said as she joined them with Neville behind her reading his own schedule. "Malfoy blocked it. He was able to get the first two weeks' good schedule."

"Arse." Ron said knowing how they'd have a hard time getting better schedules for the third week. "Hey Harry, there's Cho.."

The three of them turned their heads as they saw Cho Chang enter the Great Hall for breakfast with her friend Marietta.

"Traitor." Ginny spitefully said staring at their direction as they walked to their own house table

"Forget it, Gin." Hermione said shaking her head. "That's last year."

"Yeah. But maybe you'd like to try and remember what we went through because of her." Ginny said still eyeing Cho darkly as she sat over their table. "I'd do anything to one chance to get back."

"Not worth your time." Hermione reminded her as she too stared darkly at the direction of Cho Chang and her friends. "Look at her.. she's.. just.. "

"Forget it." Harry said. "Just forget her. She wrote me a letter over the summer." Harry said suddenly remembering the note.

"What did she say?" Ginny quickly asked, eyes wide. "You didn't tell us."

"I almost forgot about it." Harry said with a hint of annoyance. "She just sent me a note to apologize."

"And what did you say?" Hermione asked him with a raised brow.

"I forgot to reply." Harry said telling the truth. "I did forget to reply because this was the time I got professor McGonagall's letter telling me the possible date of my pickup from the Dursleys to be taken at Ron's."

Harry stared at the table where Cho sat having breakfast with her friends now.

"You think she's mad at me?" Harry said. "I saw her at the train station. Tried to say hi and she didn't.. I think she might be mad I was unable to reply."

"Who cares?" Hermione and Ginny exclaimed together glaring back at Cho's direction.

"I mean, really. She's not worth your time, Harry." Ginny snapped at him as she reached over the table for some more sausages. "I don't think you should. Remember that she didn't care when we almost fell off our arses when she sold the rest of us."

"Ginny's right." Ron said staring at the Ravenclaw table. "She's not worth your time, Harry."

Harry didn't say anything.

Despite what Cho Chang's friend had done, he still felt like he wanted to hear her side of the story.

He didn't like her as much as he did before. But he felt like he had to say something to her after her apology letter that he never had a chance to respond to.

"Maybe I'll just talk to her after the first period." Harry said as they prepared to leave the Great Hall about half an hour later. "Or something like that."

"Suit yourself." Ginny said as she took her bag with Neville. "We warned you already. She's not worth your time and if you ask me, not worth anything at all. She can't be trusted."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something but Ginny already hugged her and bid her goodbye and the two other boys as she headed with Neville to the library for something before all their own classes begin in another hour.

The trio headed for the library in Hermione's request when halfway there, they met up with Draco Malfoy who was blocking their way.

He was smiling in an alarming way as if he had done something that they should be alert about.

"Someone's happy." Hermione snapped at him as he and his friends blocked their direction. "Christmas got cancelled?"

Draco's eyes slowly moved from Harry then at Hermione who quickly moved forward to block him from getting anywhere near Harry.

He sneered at them and gave Hermione a deep kind of look.

"What?" Hermione snapped at him slightly uncomfortable at the way Draco was staring at her.

He smirked at her and his eyes moved from her face and down her hips and legs and back again.

"If you weren't a Mudblood Granger, you actually look really good up close." Draco drawled at her with a perverted smile over his face. "Too bad you got dirty blood."

"Why you stupid bast-" Ron moved forward but Hermione stopped him immediately.

She stared back at him with a smirk over her face; she was no longer affected by these words that Draco delighted on taunting her.

"Clearly Malfoy, you got yourself some confidence." Hermione haughtily told him. "Too bad I'm interested with someone who has bigger brains and balls."

Draco's eyes widened and his face was suddenly red in anger and humiliation at her words.

He moved forward in a threatening manner but had quickly stopped when McGonagall passed by with the other teachers and Snape had called Draco to follow him immediately.

Hermione smirked when Draco looked back at her.

"You sneaky little-" Draco said knowing that the only reason Hermione had said those words was because she expected Draco to attack when she clearly saw the teachers drawing nearer their direction from Draco's back.

Hermione only smiled at him with a little wave of her hand as he hurried away as Snape waited for him to follow.

"Why do you have this in your bag?" Hermione asked as later they settled in Potions' class.

She had wanted an extra set of parchments when Harry handed over his bag and she had accidentally reached for the knife that Sirius had given Harry.

Harry quickly grabbed it from her and pocketed it.

"I keep it there." Harry said. "Just incase."

"Just incase of what?" Ron and Hermione asked together giving him a questioning glare over their faces.

If anything, the other two silently agreed that Harry wasn't really well into losing Sirius and keeping things of Sirius close to him told them exactly that he was more than missing his godfather but was too ashamed to admit it to anyone.

"Anything you'd like to share, Potter?" Draco asked as he passed them by the classroom after taking something from the shelf at the back of the class.

"None of your bloody business." Harry lashed back at him giving him another look.

"Sod off, Malfoy." Ron said staring pissed right up at Draco.

He smiled at them, a wide and triumphant look over his face as he stood nearby their table.

Draco stared back at the three of them, a glint in his eyes as he stared at their angry faces and was about to say something at Hermione's direction when the door opened and Snape went right through.

Students quickly shuffled back to their own tables and began taking out quills and parchments to begin taking notes as after a wave of his wand, Snape had already given clear instructions for the lecture and potion for the day.

"Memento?" Hermione whispered after a while as for half an hour, they did nothing but copy all the writing on the board that kept on rewriting itself after half a minute's worth that each student had to keep up on copying what was written on the board.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" Snape asked silkily turning to Hermione's direction.

He gave her a look and Hermione stared back at him with a conflicted look over her face.

"This is for seventh year, sir." Hermione said. "Are we doing advance lectures this year?" she asked in a clear voice.

Snape stared at her for a moment then he pursed his lips as he turned to her, slowly walking to the direction of the trio.

"As always.." Snape whispered coldly. "Quiet observant and quite out of place to question people in the right position and authority above yours."

"Please sir." Hermione said. "I just wanted to ask-"

"Obviously, we are doing something advance this year." Snape pointed out at her a cold glint in his eyes. "I believe I am the teacher here and therefore I have all the right to-"

"Memento is a kind of Memory Potion, sir, isn't that right?" Hermione interrupted him with a determined look over her face. "But this can't be studied unless we've all taken advance potions because there are three previous, individual potions needed to create this. If we do Memento before we all learn the other three concoction that make up-"

"How about detention on Friday, Miss Granger?" Snape suggested as he moved closer to them. "For speaking out of turn and for questioning the teacher's-"

"How about you lay off Hermione?" Harry spoke staring straight at Snape and giving him all the look of hatred he had been harboring for as long as he could remember.

The Gryffindors halted their writing and the Slytherins smirked at their direction knowing this wasn't going to be good.

Snape slowly turned his gaze at Harry and everyone else stared with batted breath at the sight of Snape glaring down at Harry.

"What did you just tell me, Potter?" Snape slowly asked him with a deep and dark stark in his eyes.

Hermione held Harry's hand under the table but Harry edged away from her.

"I said." Harry spat at him. "How about you leave her alone for speaking the truth."

The Potions Master stared back at Harry a look of silent fury in his eyes.

"Would you like to join her in detention?" he asked him slowly. "I am more than glad to enable you that little-"

"I don't care what you want to do with me." Harry answered him through gritted teeth and a challenge to his tone. ""I really don't care. Lay off, Hermione."

Snape's black eyes glinted.

"Detention." Snape firmly said. "On Friday. With Miss Granger. At three in my office. Should anyone else question today's lecture will be very much welcome to join the two of them on Friday."

Silence spread throughout the room as no one else dared to speak.

"Good.." Snape whispered straightening up and moving away from the spot where the three sat. "Then if there is no one else here willing to make unnecessary commentary over my lecture, let us continue."

Harry opened his mouth but Hermione stopped him by reaching for his wrist and gently holding his hand over.

"Don't." Hermione whispered edging him to just write down the notes again. "Not worth it. Let's just go through this class. It's really fine."

And despite that it wasn't fine for him, Harry settled back over his chair staring reluctantly at Hermione's hurt facial expression and all the while.

Despite all the hatred for the man, he tried to focus over the lecture to not further damage anything else for Hermione who stared back at him with pleading eyes that told him that she just wanted to get through the day's lesson.

After another class, one more free period till lunch came and passed and after two more classes, they finally reached the last class for the day – Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Gryffindors and other students who already had an earlier class that day with Laura Veregnicea told everyone else who hasn't taken her class one thing – she was not a woman to be crossed.

"She makes the subject seem potentially lethal than defensive."

"Dumbledore must have been out of his mind to hire her."

"There is something horribly wrong with her."

"You gotta have stomach to take in her class."

"She's just entirely.. different than the rest we've ever had and we have had a lot."

"Will you please just try to relax?" Hermione told the other two as they debated over the comments of the students who already had a chance to take Laura Veregnicea's class.

"She's going to murder Harry by the end of the year." Ron joked as they reached the classroom where the others were still settling down.

Harry almost half smiled at the comment – something he had done for the first time for the day.

Hermione smiled at them both as they entered and was able to take the front row seats as no one else obviously wanted to take them in fear of Laura's yet to be known style of teaching.

In Quirell's time, the room had been decorated with unusual things. In Lockhart's time, the walls were just plastered with his photographs. Lupin's time had been the most interesting as it was filled with interesting things they studied for their class while in Mad-Eye Moody's time it had been filled with all the other scary Dark artifacts. Umbridge's time was well – all pink, flowery and something to do with a cat.

However, everything was clearly different this time around – everything was, well, normal.

It looked nothing out of the ordinary and something very similar to a Muggle classroom and closest to it was a few of Lupin's decors or rather classroom set up.

The room had added a few more bookshelves that housed a lot of books and as Hermione quickly noticed, were rare selections that must have been from their new professor's personal collection. Other than these, the only other objects in the classroom were to very, very large and heavily locked trunks at the very end of the room.

"Reckon there's someone inside it?" Dean joked around the room as he pointed them over to the others.

The trio looked at one another remembering how Mad Eye moody had been stuck in his own trunk for months – a luggage trunk that was only slightly small than the pair that was at the end of the room.

"How much do you bet?" Ron said turning to Dean and smiling over at Neville who looked stricken at the idea of it.

"Oh, don't be rubbish." Hermione said settling her things over her table. "Just settle down. She can come in any minute. Just give her a chance first."

"You only want to give her a chance because you obviously want to borrow her books." Ron commented as he drew a chair next to her while Harry settled over her other side and took out his parchment from his bag.

The two stared over at Harry's quiet direction again as they knew he was only trying to make it through the day on first day back.

"Very judgmental of you, Ronald." Hermione snapped at him turning around the room to see everyone now looking stricken back at the trunks at the end of the room.

Ron opened his mouth to say something when the door opened and Laura came in with the same intimidating aura around her.

Today, she was wearing a darker purple long-sleeved Muggle blouse that she paired with dark pants while her very long hair still tied in a tight pony tail behind her.

Her dark hair swayed as she walked and her Muggle boots clicking as she entered the room.

Silence took over and her eyes gave one look at the class before she went straight to her table and stared back at them, standing tall before the class.

"As you know, I am your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. And My name is Laura Veregnicea."

It was the first time they really clearly heard her voice – it was tight, constricted and felt like it has not been used very often in a long time.

As she said her name, the board spelled it out in a cursive kind of writing they were silent as she spoke and slowly moved around the classroom.

"My ground rules are very simple – I make things clear, I make things as it is. No flouncy or fancy words from me so I don't want any kind of excuses of the same wording from each and any of you."

And for a moment, Harry felt like her eyes settle right at him at those words. He blinked and looked away and when he looked back, she was staring away from them and was staring back down at the end of the class at the other students.

"I absolutely do not tolerate tardiness and there is absolutely no room for cheaters in my class – anyone who is caught to be cheating will be punished – severely."

There was deep embedded silence in those words.

Something about the term, the word and the way she spoke it did not only remind them of Snape but made Snape look if possible, kinder than her.

She continued to walk, to move forward and around the room her eyes settling around them but no one else in particular anymore.

"Should you have any question, ask me directly." Laura clearly said as she crossed her arms before her walking back now nearer the spot where the three sat and listened in silence. "Should I find out that you have been… questioning my class and the way I teach without directly asking me why so – you would quite..meet some ends that we all don't want you to be in. I hope I am making myself very, very clear."

She continued to walk and observe the class, giving a little bit more of her rules and yet Harry couldn't shake off the idea that Laura's gaze kept turning back at him.

"Don't get me wrong – I admire bravery." Laura continued and her eyes settled for a very brief moment towards the Gryffindors. "But I do despise a couple of things with snitches and treachery included in this list."

Hermione was quiet like Harry and Ron but neither of them missed the way her eyes settled at the Slytherins for a moment as well.

Did she have a personal hatred towards the Slytherins?

"Foolishness of a man is one that I incredibly cannot tolerate." Laura soft voice went on as she walked around the class.

Harry stared at her, observant with her expression and the way her eyes moved around the room.

It was like she was speaking to them and yet she was speaking to entirely a different set of people in the room – like she was directing these words only to a handful of them.

And Hermione's focus and silence in her words told Harry that Laura obviously meant something else with all these 'opening remarks' for her class.

She stared and waited for her words to sink in with the rest of them before she went on to continue with her words.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts is a subject not handled by most because of its complex ideas." Laura said and her tone varied this time telling them that it was time to do real business as she delved into the topic of their class with her.

"It isn't something to be taken lightly and as I've been advised by the headmaster, you've been taking this class with varied instructors and techniques thus, giving you a hard time into really understanding its depth."

They continued and Harry felt like speaking up to her that not all their teachers were not very useful at all and Lupin had been the most efficient.

His eyes moved around the room as they tried to follow her pace around the room. She was obviously not comfortable standing in front and being still in one place.

"There are special people skilled at doing this and I'm sure you know them by the title of their profession."

"Aurors." Hermione said unable to stop herself as she raised her hand. "They're our Aurors, professor."

Laura's eyes shot up at her and everyone waited for what she had to say to this.

Hermione obviously couldn't contain herself on the first day with her.

"You are?"

"Granger, professor." Hermione answered slowly lowering her hand. "Hermione Jean Granger."

"Half-Blood?" she asked her in a direct manner as her eyes settled and focused on her.

"Muggle-Born, professor." Hermione answered with confidence as she straightened on her chair.

Laura's eyes settled on her for another moment before she nodded at her direction and only then that Hermione relaxed because she knew that she spoke out of turn even if she had raised her hand.

Something in her expression personally told the trio that there was something relevant about the fact that she was Muggle Born and whether that was a good thing or bad thing, neither of them really knew.

Laura's expression became unclear and it quickly changed when she turned from them as she tried to regain her focus and herself.

"Quite right." Laura continued. "We call them Aurors. However, not all the time we can be protected by them, yes?"

The glass nodded quietly at her and some of them slightly relaxed now seeing that she didn't reprimand Hermione unlike Snape who would have taken points immediately.

"That is why we need to learn to defend ourselves accordingly. But as I've said, defensive magic or spells are complex." Laura began unfolding her arms as she walked behind her desk and took something from the drawer.

They watched as she literally wrote a couple of things over the board for them to research on.

"Not everyone can handle the dark arts." Laura said lowering the chalk and staring back at them all over her table. "We need the right magic to protect ourselves and that takes both intellect and skills on a very balanced manner."

They were silent as mostly, this was something that their old professor Remus Lupin would have described DADA in an advance lecture.

"It's as complex as it is simple: You cannot understand and know the truth of something if you don't know where to begin." Laura told them in a serious tone as she stared down at the class. "If you don't understand what you are defending yourself from then you certainly won't be able to defeat it."

Silence followed as her words were slowly sinking in to each of them.

She stared at them, a satisfied gleam in her eyes now that she's mad her business nice and clear to all of them.

"Now, take your books and turn to the first chapter and read until the third chapter. You may begin."

For the first hour, they only read the chapters that she's told them to read and later on, she asked them to prepare their wands as an activity was to be done.

She had asked them to do the spell and the instruction on how to do it over the board written neatly in chalk.

One by one they all tried it and as to nobody's surprise, Hermione was the first to get it right.

She didn't award her any points at all but she asked Hermione to stand up the front and demonstrate a few more defensive spells she had written on the board to be done.

Hermione was flawless into her demonstrations and soon the students were grouped to follow Hermione's demo on how to do it and had done well into assisting the groups.

Laura walked around the class, taking notes, observing the class and making comments about wand gestures, posture and the way the spells were to be spoken.

The class had been interesting and by the end of the lesson, Laura had asked Hermione to do the same demonstration and assisting in the next few classes she'd have with them as she had a rundown of the same activity with various more spells for future lectures.

The rest of the class wasn't sure how to take in the lesson and their new teachers but rest assured, the lesson had been eventful and informative despite that they were still slightly in awe that a professor who was obviously cerebral with her topic was teaching them in Muggle clothes that she had obviously been very comfortable with since day one.

"Maybe I'll meet you at the Common Room. I need to check something at the library." Hermione said as she zipped her bag.

"Yeah alright." Ron absentmindedly said who was thinking of going back to the Common Room for a nap before dinner in two hours' time.

"Harry?" Hermione asked turning to him as he finished packing his things away. "Library or you going with Ron?"

"I'll go see Cho." Harry absentmindedly said knowing that the two had the chance of judging him for this decision. "I just want to make things clear between the two of us. It's Quidditch season and the first match I think is with them. So…"

"Fine." Hermione said with a snort. "It's up to you. We already warned you."

Harry opened his mouth to say something when Laura suddenly spoke from the end of the room.

The three of them looked up and stared at her as she nodded at Hermione's direction.

"I'd like a word with Miss Granger." Laura clearly said and everyone else who were still in the room stared at her direction. "Please stay behind, Miss Granger."

Her voice was quiet and low – nothing too pleasant but it was also serious though nothing threatening.

"Yes professor." Hermione quickly said with a small smile at her direction. "You go ahead. I'll follow."

The two stared at her, obviously not wanting to leave her behind as the rest of the class filed out of the room.

"We'll wait for you down the corridor." Harry suggested. "I'm sure this won't take long as you didn't do anything wrong."

Hermione nodded at them as Ron and Harry moved out of the room with the rest of the class.

Harry kept his eyes close at their direction as Hermione took her bag and walked to Laura's table and just before the door closed, Harry's eyes caught something – someone else was in the room.

"What the.." Harry whispered as the door slowly closed and he could swear that he saw someone else walk past Hermione and walked towards Laura.

"Did you see that?" Harry quickly said wanting to move back to the room but they both heard the door close and lock and the students moving out blocked them from getting back to the area.

"See what?" Ron sleepily asked him.

"Did she ask anyone else to stay behind?" Harry asked him as he tried to move against the crowd as the class of Flitwick from the side had also been dismissed and now the corridor was being hoarded with students.

"No." Ron replied. "It's only Hermione. Why?"

Harry stared back at the closed classroom door then back at Ron.

He wanted to tell him that he somehow saw someone walk around the room but then again thinking hard, he wasn't sure what he saw.

He saw some sort of silhouette or a movement of a shadow but he didn't exactly see 'someone' else in the room.

"Harry?"

"It's nothing." Harry quickly said. "Maybe I'm just tired."

But he knew and felt that he wasn't that tired.

Although before he could make up his mind to go back to the classroom someone else caught his eyes – Draco Malfoy – being dragged by the arm by Snape.

He quickly pulled Ron to look at the same direction.

Snape was dragging Draco by the arm to another corridor and both of them had a look about their faces – Draco looked angry and guilty about something and Snape looked angry and ready to strike at Draco's direction.

"What's up with them?" Ron curiously asked as Harry he quickly followed Harry towards the opposite direction of the crowd.

They both knew it was stupid and both knew that it wasn't right at all but they both quietly followed Snape and Draco disappear into a darkened corridor.

They hid behind two large suit of armours as the two Slytherins stopped by a near wall and alcove.

"What were you thinking?" Snape spat at Draco as he towered over the young Malfoy. "I told you to stay out of trouble and stay out of her way."

From where the two crouched, they could only see Draco's back and Snape towering over him.

"Bloody hell. What are you going to do?" Draco answered back at him. "Tell mother? I'm not fucking seven-"

"Watch your mouth!" Snape angrily warned him, his black eyes glinting viciously.

"Or what?" Draco challenged him. "Or what are you going to do with me?"

"You're asking for it. Aren't you?" Snape asked back straightening himself and folding his arms before Draco. "I told you not to cross the woman-"

"She just humiliated me in front of our class." Draco answered him. "I just want to get back-"

"I just saved your arse from a ton load of problems, Draco." Snape told him in a warning tone. "I cannot guarantee I can do it again-"

"Then don't." Draco snapped back at his godfather. "I can handle myself. It's just detention she can-"

"She will make it seem that detention is mere mercy." Snape cut him out in a very cold manner.

"I'm not a child!" Draco angrily wailed back at him. "I can protect myself- aunt Bella taught me-"

"I'm not talking about this all over again. I warned you already. Behave yourself in front of Veregnicea."

Harry and Ron quickly stared at one another at the mention of the name.

Apparently and obviously, Draco had done something that caused him some trouble and Laura was ready to punish him and Snape just arrived to save his arse.

Draco was obviously not willing to take in Snape's advice and was more than willing to face the guillotine that was Laura Veregnicea than back off.

"Draco." Snape's tone was deep and serious that he almost sounded as if he was begging. "Draco. Listen to me, this isn't-"

"I can take good care of myself!" Draco spat at him and his arms were shaking in fists at his side. "I can fucking take care of myself. Why are you so worried?"

Snape stared back at him and from their distance, Harry and Ron could tell that he was controlling himself in front of Draco.

"I will tell you this one last time." Snape softly whispered with a scary look in his eyes. "Laura Veregnicea isn't the person to cross. I do not give a damn if I need to drag you again by your arse to get you out of trouble. I warned you, Draco. You don't yet know this woman and you don't want to get to that point. Stay away from trouble. Do you understand me? Stay away from her."

Draco was silent as the threat sounded too real in Harry's opinion.

He remained passive and unmoving as quietly stood before him obviously waiting for him to respond.

"Draco, do you-"

"I understand." Draco quietly answered him and he slowly looked up at Snape.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them that was broken only by Draco's voice.

"Why?" Draco asked him. "Why do you know her so well?"

Harry and Ron waited in silence at their position despite that it was so hard to keep by now because their knees were bent in a painful angle as they crouched lower to hide themselves behind the armour.

They listened intently for Snape's answer.

But it never came.

"I don't need to explain myself." Snape simply answered him. "Put your head into what you have to do and nothing else. I already warned you, Draco. I cannot help you should things go very, very badly."

And before Draco could even say anything else, Snape turned around and had started walking away from his godson leaving him silently fuming in anger.

Harry and Ron waited for another minute before Draco moved out of his position to walk towards another direction.

Only when they were sure they were now alone in this part of the castle did they slowly straighten up wearing stunned look over their faces at what they had just overheard.

"Hermione." Ron whispered as they quickened their pace to meet her back. "She has got to know about this."

Harry silently agreed with Ron knowing that despite that Laura obviously didn't seem to be one of the teachers to want to kill him over the year, she still wasn't someone they should take in lightly and with what they've heard, Snape obviously knew Laura before the term had began.


	5. III

_Author's Notes:_

 **Monday at my end of the world!**

 **So before I get consumed with work this week, here is a little something from one of my works.**

 **Will hopefully be able to update tonight with the rest of the works.**

 **Lots of love!**

 **PS regarding the pairing, this was originally a no pairing fanfic that turned into a Snape/OC fic and then i've edited a lot of things and realized that it will do well with a DraMione as finishing touches.**

 **Chapter Three**

 **Reflections and Illusions**

 **Thursday..**

Before Harry knew it, the days had quickly gone by and their homework by this time of the week had already quickly piled up.

Quidditch practice wasn't easy either; as Draco Malfoy was able to quickly reserve the best practice hours for the field through Snape, the Gryffindor team had to squeeze their practice session when most were available which wasn't exactly a good schedule for most of them. They had to try and switch a few practice sessions with the other teams and though they were giving, they still found themselves compromising several things.

Ravenclaw team was the one who easily gave up their slot. They've heard of Harry asking around possible switch of schedules and when Cho heard about it, had quickly asked one of their team players to approach Harry and tell them they can switch with them as they could cancel an early practice since they weren't up for the first match of the season.

Harry was grateful until Ginny and Hermione pointed out that the reason Cho did this wasn't because she was the one 'giving' for Harry's team but because she was obviously avoiding him to get closer to their team and to her most likely so she had someone approach him to save him the effort and ensure that their paths won't cross at all.

Harry had been doubtful of it but when he tried to approach her again and she quickly left her friends and had started to walk away very quickly, he realized that the girls had been right.

Given their year, Harry and the other higher years were mostly advise by this time to take the classes that were needed for the probable careers they'd be taking.

Even over the Summer, Hermione had been the only one to talk about it until the school year began and now that it was at hand, Harry and Ron were having problems about the classes they were to take.

Ron wanted to be an Auror like Harry although he was also torn at the fact that he wanted to be a Quidditch professional in a way or two. Giving that there weren't much classes required for that latter part, he had to take in the classes that would definitely be required to become an Auror and that enlisted most of Harry's classes.

Harry had always been determined to become an Auror and what with the Dark Lord' growing power and influence they read at the Daily Prophet that arrives every morning, he was becoming as determined as ever to take that career.

But the path wasn't easy.

It would mean he would have to take McGonagall's classes and Flitwick's classes; Divination had been optional but when Bill told him over the Summer that there were certain probable cases that he'd need information about the 'divine' or 'spiritual' world as part of his consultancy proper with advance magic, he knew he needed to take the subject with Ron and Hermione was more than happy that she did not have to take that class.

Hermione ofcourse had a lot of options in her head and had been panicking mostly about which to take and as her friends already advised her, there was absolutely nothing for her to worry about as whatever career path she was to take, she was definitely going to excel.

It wasn't at all consoling for her as she was always the one to overthink and think ahead and so to make sure that she won't miss anything important should she decide to take a path in a certain career and change her mind last minute about something, she took two important career work for her to ensure that she takes most of the subjects anyway.

On first day back, she enlisted to McGonagall that she wanted to take subjects that would be required for a future Ministry Worker or Healer.

McGonagall seemed happy with her choices and so she had given her a list of the important subjects and when she showed the other two, they were more than glad that she was also taking Potions with them.

It wasn't a surprise that Potions was an important subject that had mostly been required in most of the working or a priority class kind of career. And eventually, the trio found themselves taking mostly the same subjects that they've been taking for most of their years.

There were certain subjects that they didn't go together and at these various of hours, they were able to do certain things they had to do for their other subjects.

Hermione didn't take Divination any longer and to Hagrid's dismay, she was no longer required to take his subject and she had instead replaced it with Advance Potions which only meant she had to take Snape's classes twice – their regular Potions lessons for their year and the Advance Class for those who was planning to take a Healer profession which consisted only of seven other students with Draco Malfoy included on that.

Harry and Ron only took Hagrid's class because they knew that it was something close to 'free period' as Hagrid mostly didn't ask them to do anything else except talk to them while he ask the rest of the class to read or observe certain creatures for the day.

He had tapered down the list of creatures he could take to class as the Ministry had already given him a proper curriculum he should follow if he wanted to continue teaching the class.

Despite that Hermione still took History of Magic as a chosen extra subject, Astronomy and Arithmancy were classes that the trio didn't have to take by career requirement. However, Defense Against the Dark Arts was ofcourse a requirement for most of the careers and so they found themselves together with that, with Charms, Transfiguration and Potions.

Ron didn't take Herbology but Harry had chosen to take it as Neville and Hermione took it and also because if he didn't take it, he would have so much long period for a certain day that the Quidditch responsibilities was going to be handed to him which he preferred not to do as the task didn't really contain 'playing' but scheduling the practices and other tedious non-field task that he knew he'd just be bored about.

"What's with the face?" Ron asked as the three of them met up at the grounds for two hours of free period.

"Malfoy." Hermione said as she sat next to the two of them and brought out her History of Magic book that she was to read before the class in two hours while Harry and Ron relaxed before their Divination class as their last period for the day.

"What about Malfoy?" Harry asked her as he glanced back at her frowning expression. "You came from Advance Potions, right?"

"Yes." Hermione said. "And apparently the ferret is taking it as well. There's only the eight of us. There are two Hufflepuffs, four Ravenclaws then it's me and Malfoy."

"Why is he taking Advance Potions?" Ron asked her with a shrewd look over his face.

"I don't know." Hermione said as she closed her bag and threw it at the side. "Career choice I guess."

"He wants to be a Healer?" Ron asked her.

"Don't know." Hermione replied. "Maybe. That or he wants to be a Potions Master which is very much unlikely because his grades for the regular class won't suffice I'm sure."

"Snape could do something with his grades." Ron suggested with a dark look over his face. "It's not like it's hard for him to do that."

"Don't know." Hermione sighed heavily. "Maybe."

"Then what is he planning to take?" Harry curiously asked Hermione.

"I really don't know." Hermione replied. "I'm going to ask professor McGonagall later what are the usual careers for someone who takes Advance Potions. But I'm very much sure that he doesn't want a Quidditch job. What's your last class?"

"Trelawney." Harry and Ron both answered in a bored tone.

"Oh." Hermione said in snotty tone as she settled herself by the tree next to Harry.

"Did Snape tell you yet what we're supposed to do tomorrow for detention?" Harry asked her as she looked up at her.

"Professor Snape." Hermione corrected him with a raised brow. "And no. But I saw him earlier and he told me to tell you that we should meet him in the dungeons for it."

"Great." Harry said as he settled back by the tree. "I just can't wait."

"I can't believe we're seeing her again." Harry said as they reached the North Tower for the final class of the day which was Divination.

"Let's sit at the back." Ron suggested yawning. "I'm so sleepy."

"I know." Harry said. "I had a terrible sleep lastnight."

"You barely slept. Tossing all night." Ron said. "I wonder how much deaths that woman will see again this year?"

"I'm sure I'm atop the list." Harry sniggered back at him as they reached the landing to the trapdoor.

They used the small stairs and climbed their way to the classroom and Trelawney was already in her class, excited and prepared.

The moment the two entered, she gave a heavy sigh and nodded at Harry's direction.

The two tried to keep their faces straight as not so far from that moment Trelawney started making sounds of stress as she asked the two to sit down.

There were a handful of other people for the class which told them they were aiming to certain careers that needed this subject.

The two settled near the end of the classroom and scooted their way through the class as Trelawney resumed her misty like voice as she spoke her greeting for this class.

"I sight a lot of happening this year!" she dramatically said pointing and nodding at each of them. "Of great power, of great…mystery. Some are… leaving, yes, sadly, leaving us very soon."

There were pretentious oohs and aah and ofcourse Lavender and her friends were the only ones who genuinely believed and loved her and her class.

"Leaving soon?" Lavender curiously asked. "What do you mean professor?"

"Something great, eventful." Trelawney said with a grave look over her face. "Something, someone… would like.. to claim.. claim something and leave.. leave behind and leave.."

Harry and Ron stared at one another knowing all the crap she spoke at that moment.

"What are they leaving behind?" Lavender asked her with her friends all serious looking at their professor.

"Leaving.." Trelawney whispered back as if she was in a sort of trance. "Or what has been left behind.. abandoned…"

"This is stupid." Ron whispered as Trelawney walked around the room. "This is really a waste of time."

"Abandoned and left alone.." she continued on. "And it has returned.. returned.. to claim, to claim what is rightfully theirs."

"Theirs?" Lavender asked again. "There are more of them?"

"More than twice its power.." Trelawney replied. "It has left.. abandoned.. returned.. and it has arrived."

Lavender and the others gasped in a fearful tone and Harry and Ron just rolled their eyes.

"What has?" Lavender asked. "Who has arrived professor?"

"This is really very crappy." Ron sniggered and then Trelawney heard him.

She turned to them and he flushed red and Harry quickly looked away trying to pretend that he was looking for some of his notes.

"My dear boy.." Trelawney gravely spoke as she walked to their direction. "My dear boys.. this is.. I cannot fathom.. there is this dark aura, very dark… darkest I've seen indeed that has been following you."

"Following me?" Ron asked looking at her then at Harry and back. "Perhaps you mean Harry?"

"I meant both of you." Trelwney said. "The world is dark.. darker this year and the black aura has arrived.. it wants to take what life owed of it. But its dark form is following you, both of you.. no, following you."

She nodded slowly and turned to Harry who didn't look surprise at all.

Ofcourse his death would always be seen by this woman and he was just too tired of hearing to pay too uch attention to any of it.

Trelawney gasped but before she could speak there was a very loud and rushed tapping by the trapdoor.

Some squealed and then it slowly opened up with heavy clicking noises of the shoes.

Most of them stared and then when the trapdoor slowly opened, Harry and Ron were both at the verge of laughing their heads off when out of the blue, Laura came into view.

Her eyes were dark and narrowed as she gazed at the room around her and Harry couldn't tell if she was intimidating them or was annoyed at the look they wore over their faces as they gazed up at her direction as she climbed the steps and entered through the trapdoor.

Laura looked away from them, straightened up and crossed her arms as she walked towards Trelawney's direction..

Harry and Ron quietly stared from the corner of the room, staring at the way she moved around the professor.

At Dumbledore, she was definitely respectful with no question. She seemed to have the same respect towards McGonagall and Flitwick. And although she didn't seem to be in good terms with Sprout she still regarded her with respect.

They've never seen her encounter Hagrid and Madam Hooch or any other teachers but by far, it was only with Snape she had been obviously and straightforward disrespectful like she knew him before.

Perhaps she did if they went to the same school together although Snape would definitely be a year or two higher than her.

She walked to Trelawney wearing a restrained look over her face.

She didn't smile nor greeted her with the same respect she wore around McGonagall.

"A great omen." Trelawney whispered at her. "A great omen is following you. Great black omen-"

"I need something for professor McGonagall." Laura impatiently cut her short. "I can't stay long."

"Won't you let me help you?" Trelawney asked her ignoring her words. "You have to let it go, you have to let this go.. It's still with you and it's following you. Let me help you."

"The only help I need from you is to have a certain formed signed for professor McGonagall and the headmaster."

Laura stretched her hand and almost shoved a small parchment at her.

Trelawney slowly took it still staring unblinkingly at her and opened the note.

She read several times before nodding at her.

"I cannot sign it." she gravely whispered at her. "I'm sorry."

"What do you mean you can't sign it?" Laura asked with a strange kind of anger in her voice. "I need you to sign it. The headmaster has allowed me and has signed his form. Why should you not?"

"Let me help you and perhaps I can sign it." Trelawney offered back. "Please, my dear. You have to remove this omen-"

"I don't need help." Laura said angrily snatching the small parchment from her. "I'll have someone else sign it."

She started to turn and leave but Trelawney called her back and her voice was slightly different – darker, deeper as if it was not her and that she was at a trance this time.

"You need thirteen signatures." Trelawney told her. "But you already have twelve. I will not sign the final. Thirteen is a strange, dangerous and bad number-"

"I'll have someone else sign it." Laura said turning to her in clenched fists.

"Severus Snape will not sign that." Trelawney softly whispered back at her with an almost motherly look at her face this time. "We both know it's either him or me. You came to me because you refuse to have Severus sign it and you know he won't."

Laura stepped forward, an enraged looked at her face.

The class stared, confused as ever at Laura Veregnicea's attitude and words.

She walked slowly, towering over the older professor and halted a few feet from her.

"I will get my thirteenth signature whether you sign this or not." she said in a tone that was barely audible to the others. "I don't care if you don't sign it. I will have my final signature-"

"But do let me help you in another way." Trelawney insisted walking forward her and reaching for her arm. "Please let me help you – let me take the burden and the omen-"

And then she reached for her arm and at that very split moment that her arm reached and touched Laura, she backed away like she had been electrocuted.

For a moment that their hands closed in together, Harry could have sworn that she had seen Trelawney's eyes turned white for a moment then back again.

He looked up back at Laura.

She was staring at Trelawney with great wide eyes, her hands shaking at her sides and she was breathless.

"I told you-" Laura angrily said, voice shaking. "You are – NEVER – to touch me again-"

"I want to see what lies beyond." Trelawney said edging closer her. "Let me understand how I can take the omen away-"

"You are not to touch me!" Laura yelled at her making the class jump up their wits. "You have no right to tell me-"

"I only want you safe." Trelawney said. "A fate that you deserve, please.."

"I refuse to believe in such things!" Laura said almost screaming at her. "Get away from me you old – I told you never to touch me again-"

"I want to help-"

"I don't want your help!" Laura angrily said keeping her arms over her to keep herself away from the older woman. "I make my future with my own hands –I don't believe in all these foolishness!"

Her eyes moved around the room, her hands pointed around the shelves against the wall where Trelawney's precious objects lay.

"Laura-"

"You can call me Veregnicea, professor." Laura snapped at her with her eyes glinting. "I don't want to be rude to you, professor. But I don't believe in these crap that you have all over this place. I just need your signature and if you can't give that, there's nothing else I need. I don't believe in this crap. I strongly believe we individually make our own fate."

"But your past – nothing you can do. But your future, that we can fix-"

"I already know what I want and need for my future." Laura said edging away as Trelawney tried to approach her again to reach for her hands. "I make my own future and my life. I can do it with my bare hands and not with you touching it to tell me what the teacups and tea leaves told you about it."

Harry and Ron were silent like the rest of the class and Harry could just feel her similarity with Hermione in regards with Laura's view at Trelawney's class.

"Just one touch." Trelawney said with a very soft whisper. "Just one moment to –"

"If you love your hands as much as I love mine, you will keep it away from me." Laura whispered walking closer to her as if ensuring it was only the old woman who would hear her.

Trelawney's eyes widened and she swallowed hard but it wasn't fear in her eyes but something akin to tears of regret.

"You used to-"

"Past is past." Laura cut her out sharply. "We don't go back there. I don't look back there."

And before Trelawney could say something else, she quickly turned away from her and stormed out of the room, angrily kicking one of the fallen orbs on the floor out of her way.

By the time that dinner had arrived, what happened at Divination had already spread throughout the school like some wildfire.

Other stories came up about Laura as well for the week that has passed.

Students would see her with the other faculty and she seemed not to have a good relationship with most of them and what was even more boggling was that she doesn't seem to have a care at all.

A few of these stories were that one time she came out of the library angry that Madam Pince refused to let her leave with a certain book and she stormed her way out knocking over a few lower year students and making them scramble out of her way as fast as they could.

She was also seen arguing with professor Sprout at the greenhouses for some reason and even one time with Oliver Wood where he was asking her a permission for one of her students for a special practice try out and Laura refused the student from the detention she had given him.

Oliver tried to reason and when Laura still refused, she had ran out of patient and she started to angrily yell at him to the point that she was seen jabbing her hand angrily towards his chest before pushing him out of her way as she stalked away from him.

But it was encounters with Snape that was most terrible.

It seemed that she was the only person never intimidated by Snape and Snape wanted to stand his ground and prove that he was the one who had been a veteran at the school and therefore demanded respect from Laura – which she gladly refused to give him back.

"Seems like a warfreak to me." Ginny said as they had some snacks that night at the Common Rom. "I mean. Really? With professor Sprout?"

"She is a warfreak." Fred and George said together as they joined them in the Common Room that afternoon.

Hermione glanced up at the from the book she had been reading and had asked them how their first classes for the week had been but the twins just ignored her.

The twins were officially back at the school to finish the year they left off and it had been nothing but a joy to their house.

Not a single person in the school has forgotten what they did to Umbridge the previous year.

"We haven't had her in our class." George had said as he sat down over their large couch. "But one trainee for the team had been given detention and even if McGonagall already had a letter, she came to the pitch to see the student and gave her detention."

"What did McGonagall do?" Ron curiously asked the twins.

"Nothing." Fred answered. 'Well, not really nothing. But she tried to talk to Veregnicea and she just.. well.. took things to the headmaster."

"And?" Hermione asked them.

"He told McGonagall that if a detention must be served, then it must be served. He only told Veregnicea to handle detention differently and that was it."

"I don't think she's a warfreak." Hermione's voice broke the momentary silence around them. "I think she only did her job."

They looked back at her as she closed her book to continue her statement.

"I think that she did well in giving that student detention. I saw what she did to be given that. It was something earlier that-"

"Did you see what she did to Trelawney?" Ron cut her out. "Like, really?"

Hermione's eyes darkly looked back at Ron.

"If you must know, I heard what happened-"

"Heard." Ron pointed out. "You didn't see. You didn't see how she treated Trelawney. She hated her skills-"

"I think she's right to think she's a fraud." Hermione said. "We all know that professor Trelawney's subject isn't something very much relevant."

Ron opened his mouth to argue but Harry grabbed his arm to quiet him while they watched Hermione get all her things from the Common Room table and stash them back in her bag.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked slightly alarmed that they offended her again.

"Going to find somewhere else to study." Hermione had replied in a snappy tone. "Gonna find somewhere I can work properly."

And without another word, she stalked and stormed out of their Common Room giving Ron an angry look.

"What did I do?" Ron asked Harry as the other shook his head.

"She must be fond of her." Harry replied. "Muggle and all."

"You're a Muggle." Ron pointed out with a narrowed gaze. "I don't hear you taking that woman's side."

"Looking sharp, Potter." Flint commented as he turned to see Harry suddenly appear at the corridor with Ron.

After dinner, Harry and Ron started to make their way to the library to look for Hermione who had missed dinner and was most probably keeping to herself again because of their little argument.

The two stared from Flint then back at Cho who was looking harassed as they were obviously in some mid-argument when they arrived at the corridor.

"Is everything alright around here?" Harry asked walking forward as Flint stared back and Cho straightened herself up trying to keep a straight face.

"Everything's fine." Flint replied with a smirk as he turned from Harry to Cho with that dark look over his face. "I have to go. See you at the field Chang."

And then without another word, he left the three of them.

Harry waited for the Slytherin to leave before walking forward to Cho who turning to leave the two.

"Cho." Harry began reaching forward. "Are you-"

"I'm fine." Cho snapped at him moving her arm away from Harry's reach.

They stared at one another and Harry wasn't sure what to feel.

He had been concerned and had wanted to talk to her but as usual, she was being full of herself.

"Can we talk?" Harry asked in a straight voice lowering his hand and taking a step back from her. "Right now?"

"It's getting late." Cho said avoiding his gaze. "I have to be up tomorrow. We have Snape first up at the first class."

And before Harry could even argue, she had quickly turned from the two of them and walked as fast as she could to the opposite direction.

"I don't think she's anywhere worth it mate." Ron said giving him a pitiful glance. "I mean it's obvious that she doesn't-"

"It's fine. Nevermind." Harry said turning to the other direction. "Let's go find Hermione-"

"Harry-"

"I said I'm fine!" Harry suddenly said looking sharply back at Ron.

They both halted and Ron was staring back at him, open mouthed.

Harry shook his head and quickly apologized.

"I didn't mean it that way." Harry quickly said. "Sorry. Let's go."

"Yeah. Let's go." Ron simply replied taking a few steps ahead of Harry shaking his head.

But they haven't even got far when they turned a corner and heard Laura talking to Filch about something.

Harry quickly pulled Ron back to hide at the side of the corridor as they watched them silently.

She seemed to have given him approval about something and Filch seemed pleased about something.

They looked at one another knowing whatever it was, it wasn't good.

They ever rarely ever see Filch glad about something and to see him like this towards a woman who was beginning to have a bad reputation at school was definitely not good.

They watched in silence as Laura nodded at him, crossing her arms as the other left and entered a secret passage.

She had stood at the empty corridor, her eyes looking around the large paintings around her who were all staring down at her with a vague expression over their faces.

The two were to leave in fear of being seen when suddenly, one of the secret passages opened up and out appeared Snape.

Harry quickly grabbed Ron to stay with him and keep low and hidden at the corner they have been eavesdropping already.

They watched in silence as the two stared at one another for a moment and then Laura decided to turn away from him but Snape called her back.

"You weren't at dinner." Snape simply said as he walked forward her while Laura slowed her pace before halting and turning back to Snape.

She turned and crossed her arms tightly over her chest staring back at the Potions Master.

Her back was turned at Harry and Ron's direction so it was only Snape's face they can see from the slightly dark corridor.

"Faculty stress is quite difficult to handle for newcomers." Snape silkily said stopping a few feet away from her. "You should eat at the proper time."

"Well, I had been hungry." Laura replied in a snotty tone. "But I had lost my appetite the moment I saw you at the dinner table."

Snape only smirked at her comment and gave her contemplating look over his face.

"You're going to lose a lot of weight if you keep that mindset." he told her in a low tone. "You see, you have got a year-long to deal with the fact that you're going to see me at the same table."

"Not if I can help it." Laura replied with a smirk over her face as she moved one stp forward to close their space.

Snape's black eyes were focused on her and Harry wasn't sure if it was hate that was in his eyes but it was definitely not fear.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Snape asked towering over her, glowering angrily at her direction. "Are you threatening me?"

"Why?" Laura asked back in barely a whisper. "Are you threatened?"

There was silence between them and if the two didn't know any better, their gap looked like Snape is just about to kiss her.

There was something in his eyes –something in between question and longing and a deep emotional expression that was akin to regret.

And for the first time in his life, Harry had seen Snape's eyes slowly soften as he stared deep into Laura's eyes.

He moved forward and his hand made a movement towards her but Laura had suddenly backed away, shoving his hand away from her.

"Don't touch me." Laura said in a deep, scary and warning tone. "Don't you dare touch me."

The softness in Snape's eyes quickly disappeared and it was replaced by hatred.

"Get out of my way." Laura slowly said as all smirk disappeared from her face and was replaced by a cold and deadly stared.

"I can't do that." Snape replied in a low tone. "It's my duty to protect all individuals within this walls. Even if that has to include you-"

"I don't need saving-"

"Not even from yourself?" Snape said and Harry was sure that he had enraged her enough because she had lowered her hands and were closing in tightly into fists at her sides.

"Don't make me laugh." Laura replied in a tight voice. "Protect them? We both know you're here because you're like some coward using this castle as some safety hole you crawled back into when he fell from power-"

"You don't understand what you're talking about-"

"You're only here because of some personal agenda. Should he rise to power, I'm sure you will abandon this post he had given you."

"I am loyal to the headmaster-"

"No one-" Laura cut him short as she moved his face closer to him. "-is ever loyal to anyone, Severus."

She called his name.

And there was something in the way that she did that sent chills at Harry's spine.

"The headmaster had been delusional to have you within this walls." Snape told her shaking his head. "He is growing old and his judgments get flawed as time passes-"

"Didn't that first happen when he allowed you here?" Laura lashed back at him. "Didn't he make that first mistake with you-"

"Why you –" Snape had began as he suddenly and rigidly grabbed her arm.

The two moved backward from the corridor, trying to keep themselves together.

Laura tried to free her arm from Snape's pincer like grip as she started to grow red in the face in anger and pain.

"Get out of my way, Severus" Laura threateningly whispered back at him, unblinking and cold as she stared hard at him. "Get out of it or I will make you."

There was silence, another long silence.

And then Snape's fingers slackened and his black eyes softened again at her direction.

"Don't do it." Snape said and all hatred and anger vanished from his voice.

He was pleading at her, he was genuinely pleading at her.

"Severus-"

"Don't do it, Laura." he called her name softly again. "I will not be able to help you if things go very badly."

They couldn't see Laura's face but they were sure that she had been thinking because her silence was already language to itself.

"Don't tell me what to do or what not to do." Laura told him as she forced her arm free from Snape's grip. "I don't need you to protect me."

"Laura-" Snape tried again but she pushed him hard away from her.

"Last warning, Severus." Laura softly said. "I will not be lenient with anyone who gets in my way even if that includes you."

Harry lay into an uneasy sleep that night.

He couldn't help but think about the encounter they've seen earlier between Snape and Laura.

There was something about them, something about the two of them that told Harry that Snape already knew Laura even before now.

They called one another in first name basis which will already tel them that they are familiar with one another.

But who was she?

She looked a little younger than Snape and if she did go to Hogwarts then that would mean that she was at the same year as Harry's parents.

Did they know her?

Did Lily and James knew of her?

Did Sirius knew her?

Sirius.

His thoughts went straight back to Sirius.

And for the rest of the night, Harry tossed and turned again as nightmares grew and consumed him in the night, leaving him tired and restless until morning light.

 _"_ _What's going on?" Harry whispered as he walked into some long corridor._

 _His green eyes slightly hurt at the warmth of the place as the walls were all filled and illuminated by melting candles._

 _He looked down and saw he was threading down what looked like an underground cave with damp grounds._

 _He walked forward, gently touching the walls which were filled with candles._

 _But there was something else that shimmered against the wall that sent chills to his spine._

 _Blood._

 _The walls had dripping crimson blood everywhere._

 _He stopped walking, quickly looking around he could tell that it was some underground pathway._

 _Was it a graveyard or did it lead to one?_

 _"_ _Hello?" he called out but his voice only echoed and bounced around the walls._

 _He walked forward and made to take his wand out from his pocket until he realized that he didn't have it._

 _He didn't have anything with him._

 _"_ _Hello?" Harry moved forward hearing something at the very end of whatever was at the far end of the corridor._

 _"_ _Ron?" he called out. "Hermione? Hello?" his voice echoed further but the more he walked forward, the farther the end of the corridor seemed to be._

 _And then suddenly, he heard it._

 _A melody._

 _A humming melody._

 _The melody was somehow familiar._

 _It continued quietly but he wasn't sure where it was coming from._

 _He moved and paced forward as the endless corridor went on, candles burning and melting at the walls heating the room and making it hard for him to breath by the moment._

 _And then suddenly he halted._

 _Someone was standing a few feet from him._

 _His green eyes narrowed as he tried to see through the corridor._

 _A man was standing still and quietly several feet away from him._

 _He was familiar._

 _He had seen this man somewhere before._

 _No, he had dreamt of this._

 _That was it – this was a dream._

 _Harry looked wildly around and he decided to move forward towards the man._

 _He's dreamed of this man over the summer he was sure of it._

 _He had tried to talk to the man at the time but he refused to._

 _Just like Lupin who he hasn't spoken to for some time now._

 _"_ _Professor Lupin?" Harry called out, building confidence in himself as he moved forward almost sure it was him. "Professor Lupin?"_

 _His voice only echoed as he paced forward, paced faster to the shadow of the man._

 _And then his paces grew fast and he realized the man grew nearer and he could finally catch up with him._

 _He ran faster forward, the grounds beneath him softening as he did so._

 _He kept his eyes focused on the man, calling Lupin's name._

 _And just when he was near, he halted._

 _He could see the man's physique well – he had short hair, he was dressed in black but they weren't wizard's clothes and he was definitely as tall as Remus Lupin._

 _But he couldn't see his face._

 _"_ _Professor Lupin?" Harry called out feeling strange about the whole dream._

 _And then the man slowly moved, with the silhouette Harry could see that he had slowly stretched his arm out to him as if calling him._

 _"_ _Professor Lupin." Harry said relieved as he moved forward "I need to speak with you"_

 _But the man didn't respond._

 _He only outstretched his hand for him to follow._

 _"_ _Professor?" Harry whispered and suddenly, his ground was becoming softer and softer, consuming him._

 _He looked down in panic._

 _The grounds was suddenly turned into nothing but a pool of blood and was trying to suck him down in it._

 _He screamed, trying to fight the ground from taking him alive._

 _"_ _Professor, help me!" Harry screamed wailing his arms around. "Professor Lupin!"_

 _He screamed and screamed but the man's shadow only stood before him, staring down at him or rather oblivious to what was happening towards him._

 _Harry screamed._

 _Feeling the heat of the melting candles as the bloody pooled around him, swallowing him alive._

And then he woke up.

"Harry!"

It was Ron's and Neville's voices waking him up.

"Harry! Harry!"

Harry's opened his eyes, feeling the heavy arms of the two trying to wake him up.

His chest felt heavy, he felt out of breath, he could still almost feel the warmth of the candles around him.

He tried to shake himself back to reality, telling himself it were all a dream.

But he couldn't.

He could almost recall everything else in the dream except for one thing.

 _The face of the man._

It wasn't Lupin.

He was almost sure it wasn't Lupin.

"Harry?" Ron called out as he struggled to sit back over the bed. "Harry, are you alright?"

He looked at the two, he realized that he was back in the dormitory and was sure it was all a dream.

He wasn't alright.

But before he could even speak, before he could even tell them what he was feeling, he already felt all the pain and anxiety go out through his mouth as he felt dizzy and threw up all over his bed.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Notes:**_ _**I'm very much alive.**_ _**And like I've said, I'll be very busy at the weekend so I'm trying to post to all my stories tonight since I will not be able to tend to any of it.**_ _**writer's block is going away so I'm hoping that these posts are going to help me write a bit more after next week.**_ _**Hope all is well at your end.**_ _**Do let me know what you think of the story.**_ ___**Lots of love**_ ___**xx**_

 **Chapter Four**

 **Dilapidated Divination**

 **Friday..**

Harry woke up still feeling extremely ill bout what had happened and felt worse upon finding himself alone in the Common Room.

Checking his watch, he was already late for breakfast so he hurried himself out of bed and prepared for the long day.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" he asked reaching the table and staring at Ron who was immersed in conversation with Hermione. "What's going on?"

He looked up and saw the two staring up at the corner of the staff table where Remus Lupin and some other Order members were talking to the headmaster.

And to Harry's surprise, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley and even Bill were there.

"What's happening?" he asked again and was about to walk up the table but Hermione quickly grabbed him back.

"No, Harry." she whispered rolling his eyes at him. "They're obviously here for some Order business. We tried talking to professor Lupin but he sort of avoided us. Says he'll talk to us later."

"Well I hope he does." Harry darkly said remembering how Lupin had been avoiding him all Summer. "I also want to talk to him."

"We'll try later." Ron said staring at his mother who was in deep conversation with the headmaster. "I'll try to talk to mum first so we can talk to Lupin."

Breakfast came and passed and before it ended Harry watched from their table as the headmaster disappeared at the back door with the Weasleys and the other Order members except for Lupin who walked to the other direction and to another door.

"I'll meet you at class." Harry hurriedly said seeing Lupin was to walk out of the hall alone. "I want to speak with him"

And before Hermione and Ron could stop him, he staggered from the Gryffindor table and ran as fast as he could after Lupin.

"Professor!" Harry called out a few corridors down as he tried to reach and level up to Lupin's fast pace. "Professor Lupin!"

They had reached one floor up and Harry realized that he must be heading to one of the teacher's office but definitely not at the headmaster's.

"Harry?" Lupin slowly turned as Harry reached him. "What are you doing?"

"I've been-" Harry breathlessly said stopping in front of him to catch his breath. "I haven't heard – why are you here-"

"Why are you?" Lupin asked completely perplexed as he stared at Harry gather himself together.

"Have you been receiving my letters all summer?" he asked the man. "I've been sending you-"

"I have been busy, Harry." Lupin said in a firm tone removing the excitement in Harry's face. "I'm not staying long. I just need to finish something for the headmaster."

"No, no wait-" Harry breathlessly said. "I just want to – I want to-"

"I'm in a hurry, Harry." Lupin interrupted him. "I have things to do for the Order. It was nice to see you-"

"Wait, what's going on-" Harry said as Lupin had turned already.

He quickly blocked his way and Lupin looked up at him, surprised.

"Harry-"

"I haven't heard from you all summer." Harry repeated determined to get some answers. "Is there something wrong?"

Lupin stared back at him, looking unsure of what to tell the boy.

"I have been busy." Lupin simply repeated. "I'll be here until later at the game. You are playing, yes?"

For a moment, Harry didn't understand and then he realized that he was talking about the afternoon's Quidditch match.

Before Harry could even answer him Lupin patted him at the back already.

"I need to go, Harry." Lupin said. "I will try and have some time with you later."

"But you just got here –"

"I need to go." Lupin simply told him. "Bill and Fleur can see you later with Molly and the rest. I have to attend to some things, Harry."

And before he could even protest, the both heard footsteps nearing them.

Harry looked up and to his surprise, it was Laura.

Lupin stared at the same direction and his eyes became soft, his mouth slightly open as he stared.

"We can talk at the library." Laura simply said folding her arms as he reached Lupin. "Do you need anything, Potter?"

Her eyes moved from Lupin to Harry and Harry was sure that he didn't miss the look over Lupin's face.

"You know each other?" Harry asked Lupin unable to stop himself from asking.

Harry stared at the woman then back at Lupin and he could swear that there was something different in the way that Lupin was staring at the new professor.

Lupin stared at him, obviously reluctant to answer him but before he could, Laura had spoken again.

"I need references from the old teacher of the subject, Potter." Laura firmly said standing next to Lupin. "Again, is there anything you need?"

"Nothing, professor." Harry softly answered her. "I just wanted to say hi to my old teacher."

Laura stared at him then at Lupin and back at Harry with certain impatience in her eyes.

"I'll be at the library." Laura said at Lupin with a heavy glare. "I don't have all day. I can only give you fifteen minutes."

And before either of them could say anything, Laura walked away and to the direction of the library.

Harry looked at Laura's direction and then back at Lupin and could swear that there was a different kind of look in Lupin's eyes .

Something akin to what he could only describe as close to longing.

"Harry, I told you-" Lupin began but Harry blocked his view of the corridor Laura disappeared from.

"Do you know her?" Harry curiously asked him unable to hide his curiosity. "Professor?"

"What?" Lupin asked, blinking and shaking his head as he looked back at him. "What did you say?"

He didn't hear him at all.

"She's our new teacher." Harry had said as he gazed up at Lupin who finally turned back to him "Do you know her?"

"I've heard." Lupin said keeping a straight face as he nodded. "The headmaster mentioned he would be hiring someone for the school year."

"But do you know her?" Harry asked in an insistent tone as he looked back at Lupin.

He only stared back at him, a curious look over his face but his expression changed and instead of answering Harry, he returned a question.

"Is she alright?" Lupin asked him. "Has she taught your class?"

"Hermione seems to like her." Harry replied in what was the most obvious description he could presently to Lupin. "She's strict in a different sense than Snape."

"Professor Snape, Harry." Lupin corrected him looking back at him with a thoughtful look over his face. "Different in what way?"

"I'm not sure how to explain it." Harry answered him scratching his head. "But they're different. And she actually argues with the other professors-"

"She what?" Lupin quickly asked back, an alarmed look over his face. "She's already argued with people?"

"Yeah." Harry casually answered him. "Several. I'm not sure who else but we did hear her argue with Sn-professor Snape."

"Did you hear what it was about?" Lupin asked him. "What they were talking about?"

"Couldn't really tell." Harry told him. "But it sounded that she was threatening him and he was quite furious with her."

"He's not supposed to be furious with her." Lupin muttered to himself before Harry could catch it.

"What?" Harry asked him looking back at him. "Do you want me to find out more about it? Because I can-"

"No." Lupin cut him short with a serious look and tone in his voice.

He turned sharply at Harry that Harry thought the look on his face was quite alarming.

"But I was-"

"Don't." Lupin cut him out with a look of concern and worry over his face. "Don't meddle with things that doesn't concern you."

"Well, I was just-"

"I said no, Harry." Lupin strictly told him and for the first time Harry could tell that his irritation was serious. "Don't get anywhere near their business whatever you hear or see them arguing about."

His tone was almost harsh, strict and close to furious

"Alright." Harry replied drawing himself back. "I won't.. I was just-"

"Harry, listen." Lupin said and he gently took him to a corner and made him look at him. "This is something I'd only warn you once, alright?"

"Alright." Harry quietly answered.

"I know that.." Lupin heavily sighed at him. "Your father.. all of us was always curious about many things but sometimes you can't help but.. know things.." his tone became a little gentle. "But.. this is not your business."

"But I was just-"

"No 'buts' Harry." Lupin said his eyes serious as he stared back at him. "Please. Just listen to what 'm trying to tell you. Not all the time you need to go around and about-"

"I won't." Harry reasoned at him. "I only wanted to tell you-"

"We're trying to keep you low on things and we don't want the school knowing you're getting entangled with some unwanted attention drawn alongside names of the teachers-"

"I don't-"

"Just promise me that you'll stay away from the two of them." Lupin seriously told him. "Especially your new professor."

Harry looked up at him and he didn't understand why Lupin looked very serious about this matter.

But still, he didn't want any gap from Lupin and despite that he didn't understand it, he found himself agreeing with him.

"I'll stay away." Harry simply said nodding at him.

"Harry?"

"Yes, I will."

"Promise me." Lupin quietly said keeping his eyes on him. "Make a promise."

"I promise." Harry said staring back at him unblinkingly. "I promise I'll stay away from them, professor. Especially from professor Veregnicea."

"Veregnicea?" Lupin's eyes widened and his brows raised.

"Her name." Harry pointed out "Laura Veregnicea."

Something passed Lupin's eyes but it quickly vanished as he spoke again.

"I have to go." Lupin simply told him. "Be well. Stay out of trouble."

Harry returned a moment later back at the Great Hall were most of the students have finished their breakfast.

The other Gryffindors were still at the table as Harry returned.

"Has anyone seen Oliver?" Fred had asked as they joined the table. "We're supposed to have a routine with the try-outs after breakfast."

"Haven't." Ron answered as he finished with his dessert.

"I saw him walking to the library early today." Ginny answered. "I was going to finish an assignment but I got hungry."

"What time is the try-out?" Harry asked them wanting to watch it. "I hope I don't have class then."

"Three." Fred and George answered together. "Didn't you hear they cancelled the match?"

"They what?"

"Try-outs were moved at three." Fred answered him. "Heard some Slytherins would watch the try-out. It'll be on the open field so we can hardly stop them."

Charms and Herbology came to pass as their first subjects.

Herbology came with the Hufflepuffs and Harry was glad that they now understand that he didn't murder Cedric and that they now believe him that the Dark Lord has fully returned.

He found himself being asked by the DA members if there was going to be any meeting that year but he merely told them that he would let him know should he think and deem it necessary.

In truth, he had not thought much about it.

He knew that he should be teaching them how to defend themselves should the worst arrived but he still couldn't get to bring himself on the events of last year and what had let to it.

As much as possible, he would like to delete every bit of memory that the previous year had arrived.

It was the DA, compose mostly of his friends that he had almost brought to danger and had even led him to the unthinkable loss he had just endured and couldn't let go.

He still blames himself every night at the loss of his godfather.

After two hours, they were asked to take out the poisons from the plants they have just studied and to put them into bottles and to submit them to professor Snape as he was going to collect them for another project for the other years.

"I'm not going to hand mine." Harry had said as he secretly kept his into a minimum amount and kept another vial to himself. "I'm not going to have a hand if he tries to poison any of us."

Ron shook his head and ignored the fact that Harry had just put a very small amount to one vial to submit and another filled one to be kept inside his robes' pockets.

"What's this, Potter?" professor Sprout asked him as she stared at Harry's submission.

"Sorry I can't get it out, professor." Harry lied as Ron had his passed quickly while Hermione was helping Neville seal his bottle so she didn't see what Harry had done.

"Fine." their professor commented sighing heavily at him. "I told you to use the other knife. You're not listening to instructions again, Potter. Next!"

"Sorry professor." Harry muttered as he kept the other vial secure inside his pocket.

He wasn't sure why he kept it.

But there was something about handing Snape poison that just didn't feel right at all.

The class had wrapped up and finished and they began to return to the castle.

"I think I left something." Harry had said as they walked up the grounds back to the castle.

"At the greenhouses?" Hermione asked him.

"No." Harry replied thoughtfully. "At Charms, I think. I'd be right back. Go ahead."

And before they could stop him, he had run all the way up the castle to retrieve whatever it was that he thinks he had left behind earlier.

"Well hurry!" Hermione called after him. "We have professor McGonagall next! You don't want to be late for that!"

McGonagall's class that day was filled with a lot of lecture and heavy reading assignment that when Harry arrived late at the first ten minutes, half of the class was already sleepy.

"Something to say for yourself, Potter?" the old professor asked as Harry apologized and reached the seat that Hermione and Ron had saved for him.

"Sorry, sorry." he said passing by the other students and apologizing to professor McGonagall.

The woman eyed him but she resumed to her lecture as Harry hurriedly took out his book while reading at the part on Hermione's open book next to him.

Harry sighed heavily and after a few minutes, had managed to be in a dozing off state like the rest as they read on the lecture for the day's class as professor McGonagall instructed that the practical activities will be happening at the next lessons.

"Where have you been?"

It was the first question that Hermione had asked Harry the moment the class was over and they began to leave the classroom.

"Sorry." Harry said hurriedly taking his book and parchments back inside his bag as they walked out of the room and down the grand staircase with the rest of the dismissed classes. "I was just-"

"Did you get what you left at Charms?" Ron asked him as he closed his bag and nodded at Dean who handed him something before running off with Neville to the other direction.

"What?" Harry asked him as they reached the grand staircase. "What did you-"

"I thought you said you left something at Charms." Hermione said staring at him. "That's why you left –"

"I was just-"

Before Harry could finish his sentence they all heard an almost dramatic scream coming from the first floor at the very end of the grand staircase.

Since it was the end of the last classes, a lot of students were already descending the stairs and everyone stared at the direction where the scream was heard.

"Isn't that Trelawney?" Ron asked pointing as the students ran up to gather down the stairs where some teachers were already heading upon hearing the scream.

"Yeah, it's her." Hermione said as the three of them rushed down at the scene.

"Destroyed!" they kept hearing her scream. "Destroyed, headmaster!"

They looked around and reached the crowd as McGonagall and Dumbledore reached the end of the stairs and forced their way through the gathered students blocking the teachers' way to Trelawney.

"Sibyll, calm down." the headmaster said reaching her and he quickly gestured for professor McGonagall to help him sit her down at the steps of the stairs.

The students were ushered aside by the Prefects and Head Boys and Head Girls who were there at the moment while the others made way for teachers to reach the headmaster

"Destroyed!" she cried at the headmaster's arms. "Destroyed headmaster!"

Her rings and bangled were clinking as she cried at the headmaster and at McGonagall.

"Calm down, Sybyll." McGonagall gently told her. "Tell us slowly what happned."

"I have told you.." she cried in McGonagall's arms now. "I have told you, I have foreseen this day! I have foreseen this day would come but I tried – I tried – it happened today, it happened! Someone at Hogwarts is attracting it!"

"Sybyll, we already talked about this." the headmaster said. "We are not-"

"No, no I tell you!" she cried at him. "Unforgiving.. It's been attracted back at the school, please headmaster! You have to believe in me!"

"What is destroyed, Sybill?" McGonagall asked her letting the Prefects clear the way as other teachers arrived at the scene. "What is destroyed?"

"My classroom!" she cried hard. "My – my classroom! They wanted it destroyed – no evidence of what I have foreseen – they're here – it has been attracted- they've arrived at Hogwarts!"

Harry stared with the rest of the students gathered around, staring and trying to get closer to what was happening.

"Move." a cold and stern voice came and before the trio could comprehend, Snape had forced himself through the crowd and pushed students out of his way.

He reached the headmaster just in time and before he could say anything, the headmaster glared up at him.

"Where have you been?" the headmaster's voice asked in a loud and clear tone.

"Headmaster-" Snape began but the headmaster was staring at him as if he was the cause of all of it.

Harry stared at the other two, they have never heard that kind of tone from the headmaster towards Snape.

"Help her up." the headmaster commanded him. "Let us sort this out. Make her a Calming Draught-"

"You don't understand!" Trelawney continued to cry. "You can't do anything – someone has to make it go away-"

"And the headmaster is going to make it go away!" McGonagall told her helping her to her feet. "But right now you ened to come with us and calm yourself-"

"You do not understand!" cried Trelawney dramatically. "It's gone – there's nothing to be done – but it has done what it was suppose to do – it has been done when the even of the orb arrived – it is here – it has to be let go-"

"I will sort this out, professor Trelawney," the headmaster said, taking his wand out and he turned to head to the North Tower soon followed by the other teachers.

When they reached the corridor to the North Tower, everyone didn't have to go through the trapdoor to see what must have happened up the stairs. From the corridor itself, they saw most of Trelawney's books, cards, cloths, parchments, ornaments and other Divination things she used scatted at the corridor, all the way to the end of the trapdoor.

Nobody had to guess what was up the North Tower to know more disaster that lay there.

"Tell us what happened." the headmaster said as they returned to her classroom.

"I just had my classes with the Slytherins." Trelawney said as Dumbledore helped McGonagall and Flitwick settle her at the corner while the other teachers stared at the broken things around the classroom.

Tables were turned, glasses of orbs were shattered, books were all over the place and all other materials of her were turned and tossed all over the room.

"I went downstairs then for a meal and then I remembered something and I returned.. and I… I came here and… and this…"

She began to cry again in McGonagall's arms as the other woman stared around in shock at the broken things around the room.

"We can fix this." she assured the other professor. "We can fix this."

"But I have been sent a warning then." Trelawney fearfully cried. "This is a warning – something more foreboding is about to come-"

The headmaster stared at her and quickly stopped her from thinking worse and this way towards what has happened.

"I will have this place cleared and clean, professor." the headmaster said. "Are you sure no other student came here today?"

Trelawney shook her head.

"I last left this place." she has answered. "I place protection charms in my office to ensure

s-security as wards in my room.. and… I don't think student would do this to me..."

The headmaster turned to the others but before he could speak, the trapdoor opened and Lupin had climbed out of it and stared at the classroom that has obviously been attackd.

"Headmaster, I heard what happeed." Lupin said as he climbed up and stared around him, a concerned look over his face.

"Oh, Remus." Trelawney said kindly gesturing to him as the man walked to her and gently patted her shoulder.

"We have to throw most of the broken glasses, headmaster." Snape said as he stepped on a couple of broken orbs already. "This can harm teachers and students alike. We have to completely rid the room of things that can no longer be repaired."

Trelawney stared at her, completely feeling offended by his suggestion by knowing he was right anyway.

"Very well." the headmaster said walking around the room and checking every bit of broken thing and which may still be recovered and fixed. "Minerva, you and professor Sprout – please bring professor Trelawney down to Madam Pofrey to calm her. Severus, make sure she gets a good Sleeping Draught for the day. I will try and fix whatever can still be used in this room."

Trelawney nodded at the headmaster in gratitude as they watch him walk around, staring at the broken materials and turning back upturned pieces of furniture around the room.

"Professor Flitwick, please charm the things that we can still use." the headmaster said as he continue to instruct the others. "Severus, can you and professor Veregnicea make sure that-"

"Laura's not here." Snape suddenly said turning to the headmaster as he stared around the room realizing it.

"What?" the headmaster asked after hearing it very clearly.

"She's not here." Snape said firmly gesturing around the room. "Laura."

"Where is Laura?" the headmaster worriedly asked looking at the other teachers who only shook their heads and tried to remember the last time they've seen her.

"I haven't seen her since this morning." Flitwick quickly said staring at McGonagall who shook her head.

"I have not seen her since lunch." Snape said walking towards the headmaster. "Do you want me to summon her?"

"No, Severus." the headmaster calmly said. "I will talk to her."

"But headmaster, look at this-" Snape said quick and agile in his movements. "Look at what-"

"Let's not assume, Severus." the headmaster simply told him. "Remus, have you seen Laura?"

"I'm sure he has." Snape said even before Lupin could answer. "Weren't you the one all excited to see her?"

Lupin stared at him but he didn't say anything, he didn't want to argue with the man.

It wasn't the right time to argue about something as trivial and irrelevant to the situation.

"I was with her this morning." Lupin honestly answered them. "I can vouch that I was with her-"

"The whole morning?" Snape asked with a raised brow. "For roughly six whole hours? Doesn't she have classes to attend-"

"Severus-" the headmaster said in warning but Snape wasn't listening.

"I was with her." Lupin firmly repeated. "I can tell you that I was with her the whole time-"

"I'm sure that is what you will say." Snape silkily said turning to the headmaster. "I think headmaster, Laura needs reminding of-"

The trapdoor made a sound and then it suddenly opened and they all stared as Laura began to climb up.

"I need reminding of something like what Snape?" she asked as she reached the landing and looking murderous at Snape's direction.

"You don't want me to answer that." Snape told her with a smirk. "Not that and certainly not here."

Laura stared at him, uncomfortable as he stared back at the Potions Master but she tried her best to ignore him.

She walked to the room, staring at the broken pieces of objects and glasses around her.

"Anything you have to say for yourself, Laura?" Snape softly asked walking to her and standing tall.

Laura stared at her, a smirk playing at her lips.

"None at all." Laura answered him. "Anything to tell us what happened here?"

"That's what we were trying to figure out." Snape snapped at her. "Mind if you tell us where were you the whole morning?"

"Me?" Laura slowly repeated knowing and aware that all eyes were on her.

"Yes, you." Snape said. "I didn't see you at lunch."

Laura stared at him quietly for a moment.

"You know what I think, Snape?" Laura asked unable to stop herself. "Do you want to know what I think?"

"By all means, tell us what you think." Snape said. "I'd love to know at this very moment what kind of lie you are going to tell all of us-"

"Enough of this!" the headmaster angrily said walking between the two of them. "This is not the time for the two of you-"

"With all do respect, headmaster." Laura said in a forcedly calm voice. "Please tell your Potions Master to be careful of the words he will be using next-"

"I said enough-"

"Yes, headmaster. Let your new Defense Against-"

"If nobody will keep quiet this instant we will have everyone accountable to what has happened here!" McGonagall angrily interrupted the two who were now a few feet from one another and with wands ready to be drawn out.

"Please do what I asked of you, Severus." the headmaster said. "I need you to do that. Please keep your end of the bargain."

"I'm keeping my end of the bargain, headmaster." Snape bitterly spat without removing her eyes from Laura. "You best tell your little Gryffindor here to stand her ground."

"Why you little-" Laura began but before she could even do anything, Lupin had come forward to grab her and stop her from doing anything she would regret.

Laura and Lupin's eyes met.

He was begging her.

And she didn't want to stand down but she did stand down.

"Let go of me." Laura muttered pulling herself away from Lupin's grasp.

"I'll help clean here, headmaster." Lupin quickly offered. "Laura and I can stay here and Severus can tend to the potion that professor Trelawney needs. Yes?"

The headmaster stared at him and nodded at his suggestion.

"I will expect everyone at the staffroom tonight for a meeting." the headmaster said as he gestured for Snape and the others to start leaving. "I want everyone present after dinner."

The teachers began to leave and Snape was the last to stay behind with Laura and Lupin taking their wands out and ready to clear the room.

"I'm amazed by your ability to lie at the headmaster's face." Snape said as he stopped by the door and turn to Laura.

Lupin stopped cleaning immediately and strode to Laura's side who had dropped the broken book she had just picked up.

She started rolling her sleeves up with her wand in her hand.

"What did you say?" she asked him slowly as Lupin began to walk to the two of them.

"Please." Lupin said. "This isn't the place."

"You heard what I said." Snape softly answered her.

"You don't have the power to accuse me." Laura told him drawing her wand out and standing tall before him. "You want to take this in a duel?"

Snape smirked at her slowly taking his own wand out.

"The headmaster trusts me." Snape silkily told her. "She's tolerating you because he is worried of th studdents' well-being."

Laura coldly laughed at him.

"The headmaster happens to trust me, Severus Snape." Laura said walking closer to Snape. "I don't think I'd be standing here hearing you gloat about his trust for you if he didn't trust me as well."

"Well, he's trusting man if you've noticed-"

"I have." Laura cut him short, eyes glinting. "Isn't that why you're also here?"

Snape stared at her for a moment.

There was a point where he looked like he was just going to give up and turn away from her.

But suddenly, with a swift move of his wand against Laura's, Laura's wand flew out of her hand and straight at Snape's hands.

"No, Severus!" Lupin warned drawing himself between the two but Laura was also quick and agile.

Her hand had come out from nowhere and she had picked up a broken orb and before Snape realized it, her hand was holding the broken orb's pointed end right at his neck with her body held back by Lupin.

The three of them stood, eyes transfixed at one another.

Snape stood there with a broken orb threatened over his neck while Laura's arm was frozen in midair as Lupin held her around the waist and his other hand holding her arm that was outstretch towards Snape.

"Please." Lupin's heavy voice came. "This is not the right place to do this."

"We can take this outside, Remus." Laura said edging the point of the broken orb closer to Snape's neck. "I can do this anywhere in the world."

Despite that he was slightly alarmed by the pointed object by his neck that was only being stopped by Lupin's hold on Laura, Snape still had the nerve to smirk at the woman.

"Still feisty." Snape whispered at her. "Still aggressive and drastic."

"You dare me to do this to you and I swear I will." Laura whispered back at him moving closer and trying to struggle against Lupin's strong grip on her. "I warned you already-"

"And you've been warned long before that you can't stay here. You can't return here."

"You don't tell me where I can go and what I'll do-"

"You can't do this." Snape told her. "You can't kill me here-"

"Can't I?" Laura asked him edging it closer to him. "Let me go, Remus so this sniveling Death Eater can get what he wants to get-"

"Laura, please." Lupin struggled as Laura's form was fighting him with enough strength. "Please."

"You think I won't, Severus?" Laura asked. "You think I wouldn't?"

"I have told the headmaster that you cannot be trusted and you cannot be given a chance but here you are-"

"Severus, please stop it." Lupin warned him glaring at his colleague. "This isn't helping-"

"No let him." Laura said lashing back at Snape with her words. "Let him say what he has to say – I don't goddamn care what he tells the headmaster- Come closer Severus and I'll give you what you're asking for-"

Snape didn't say anything.

He stood still, feeling the edge of the broken glass at the end of his throat.

"I know you are still seething in anger with what has happened years and years ago." Laura told him as her hand began to slowly drip with blood from her hard grip on the broken glass.

"Laura, please – Severus – just put your wand down-"

"If you can't let this go, Severus that is not my problem." Laura continued staring at Snape with murderous eyes. "If you can't-"

"You are the one who can't let go of what happened-" Snape said through gritted teeth. "You can't accept that you have been-"

"Don't meddle with my life!" Laura angrily yelled at him. "I have told you time and again – leave me alone!"

"Laura, please-" Lupin begged her unable to hold her any longer. "Severus, just please-"

And for a very brief moment, Lupin did think that Laura was going to stab Snape.

She angrily screamed at him and then she threw the piece of orb away and pushed herself very hard out of Lupin's arms.

Lupin was thrown back a little while Snape's eyes showed relief once the sharp glass was already taken away from his neck.

He stared at Laura, eyes glinting as he massaged and rubbed his neck.

"Get out of my way, Severus Snape." Laura breathed angrily pointing at him with her bleeding hand with her wand this time. "Get out of my life or I swear that I will ruin your life."

And then with that, she turned away from him and stormed out of the trapdoor leaving Snape standing there frozen in fear, still holding his wand and staring at the trapdoor where Lupin had quickly gone out after Laura, calling her name worriedly as he left Snape behind.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Five**

 **Apparitions**

The Quidditch afternoon try-outs had been ceremoniously cancelled in due to what has happened at Trelawney's office that had spread in news like wildfire.

It took a few hours to clear away and clean Trelawney's office and by the end of it, students already knew or had their own versions of what could have happened.

"Maybe it was the two Slytherins that she reprimanded the other day."

"Or perhaps it was some of the Gryffindors since they were the last to have class with her, isn't that right?

"How about the new teacher? I heard she's been fighting off every other faculty."

"Maybe Snape? I heard that the other day the two of them were arguing before they left the Great Hall because professor Trelawney was asking Snape for something."

"No one saw me." Harry quietly muttered at the two in the Common Room as the rest of the classes were cancelled because of what happened.

He had just revealed that right before Laura had stalked out of the room, he had caught and overheard some of the conversation they had in the room because of what he left in the classroom

"Well make sure that _nobody_ saw you." Hermione snapped at him rolling her eyes after his revelation. "Because it's very easy to point things at us."

Harry nodded at her, recalling in his mind what he had heard.

He didn't her much.

But he did the last bits of Laura and Snape's argument.

"You're saying they know one another?" Ron asked him skeptically.

"Seems so." Harry answered him. "I mean, he called her in her name. Do you think we should ask Lupin?"

"How about we don't meddle on that?" Hermione suggested sarcastically closing the book she was reading.

"What's wrong with you?" Ron asked him with a look about his face.

"Nothing." Hermione said. "I just want to finish this year without getting any of us killed or harmed in any way because of all these meddling we always do."

Harry's eyes moved to her and an ache in his heart passed.

Hermione's features quickly softened and she gave Harry an apologetic look.

"Harry." Hermione quickly said but Harry had quickly gathered his things from the couch. "That's not what I meant-"

"It's okay." Harry muttered not looking her in the eye. "I get what you mean. I'll take a nap. I'm finishing a research later for professor Flitwick."

And without another word, Harry left the two of them in the Common Room and made his way to the boys' dormitory banging the door behind him.

"Way to go, Hermione." Ron sarcastically told her going back to the parchment he had been writing on.

Hermione's eyes turned dark at his direction.

"How about you do that research yourself?" Hermione angrily said and without warning, she threw back a small pile of parchment from her side towards Ron's direction and then stalked her way up at the girls' dormitory leaving Ron open mouthed and alone by the Common Room.

 **Sunday..**

When Sunday afternoon arrived, Hermione and Ron had pushed Friday night's arguments with Harry away from their minds.

Hermione offered to do both of their last assignments and essay writing on two subjects. Ron jumped at the opportunity and gave her his homeworks; Harry, however, refused it. Although he wasn't as angry nor as pissed the other night at both of them, he spent most of his time that weekend at the library, studying alone in a corner.

Lupin had left that weekend and Hagrid was too busy with work at the grounds of the castle. While Hagrid was busy, Lupin was nowhere for Harry to talk to. He was about to write to him a letter, when he realized that he didn't know where Lupin would be staying anyway.

He had thought of talking to Cho Chang again, but then realized that he didn't want to talk to her and that it was just out of boredom he'd like to talk to her. He realized, he wanted to be alone.

To be alone in the end of the library or in the corner of the Common Room staring at the picture of the original Order of the Phoenix – staring at the picture of his mother, father and his godfather.

 **Monday..**

"Harry! Oliver's asking me to give this to you!"

Harry turned and saw Ginny running towards him.

Breakfast at the Great Hall just finished and everyone was making their way to their classes already.

"He's still here?" Harry asked slightly confused. "I though he left already?"

"No." Ginny breathlessly answered handing him a small chart. "Oliver's staying until Friday's first match of the season. He wanted to check 'the new breeds' as he called it. Apparently, the first half of the try-outs wasn't good enough for him. He wanted to see them in real action."

Harry nodded at him in understanding and told Ginny he'll see her later at lunch.

Reading through the chart, Harry had just then thought and realized how many people were going to watch the first match on Friday.

Ron told them that Mrs. Weasley sent him a letter and warned the three of them to behave as some "Ministry Officials" will be arriving the coming Friday to meet with the headmaster and in lieu of it, the newly pardoned Lucius Malfoy was rumored to be coming with them.

Harry scoffed at the news.

It was as if he wasn't with the rest of the murders at the Department of Mysterious the previous year.

What many can truly do.

Or rather, what influences that Dark Lord has now that he was growing back to position and power.

Lupin was staying as well.

Despite that he didn't give details, Lupin seemed to have gotten tired of Harry's questioning that he was forced to tell him that he was staying at Hogwarts for a few weeks with Bill in guise of a research for Magical Creatures with Hagrid and him for a few 'academic research' that could only be provided by the Hogwarts library.

Apparently, both are at Hogwarts under the headmaster's orders for Order of the Phoenix work.

Hermione suggested however that it was very obvious that the headmaster had been worried of Harry's safety that he has decided on bringing in Order members as extra protection for the school.

And although Harry wanted to believe this, since the school year began, he hasn't seen the headmaster up close or was ever able to see him and ask him about any news from the Order and any progress from the Order's movements against the Dark Lord Voldemort.

In Harry's personal opinion, he felt that after what has happened at the Department of Mysteries last year, the headmaster no longer trusts him in regards of anything that has to do with the Order and their move against Voldemort.

Harry strode faster knowing that he might be late again for the next class like the last time.

And he was doing well minding his own business when at the last corner that he turned, he saw Draco Malfoy standing alone at the far end of the corridor and seemingly talking, well to himself.

Harry quickly hid at the nearest alcove and stared.

Draco was standing with his wand in his hand and the other against the wall, eyes closed and muttering something.

Then he opened his eyes and slowly backed away from the wall and when he was sure that nobody was watching him, he quickly pocketed his wand and turned to the other direction.

Harry stared for a few minutes and waited to make sure that Draco was gone.

Getting himself out of his hiding spot, Harry wondered and slowly walked towards where Draco had been.

His eyes slightly widened.

He was at the corridor where the 'Come and Go' room appeared and disappeared.

Harry walked closer to the wall, touching it with his fingertips and wondering to himself.

Draco had obviously been from the Room of Requirements.

But why?

What would Draco Malfoy need in the Room of Requirement?

What was he hiding?

Harry took his wand out in a seeming attempt of reopening the Room of Requirement with reluctance and all the memories of last year.

He held his wand, hand gently shaking as he sighed heavily.

He closed his eyes and was about to desire what he wanted for the room to be when out of the blue he felt something strange, cold and fast came around him.

"Who's there?!" he called out in a sudden and somewhat fearful tone.

He looked around him and found the whole corridor empty.

He stood still, wand in hand and listened carefully for any sound.

Nothing.

He looked back against the wall and before he could even decide what to do next, he heard it.

A humming melody.

It was soft, gentle and melodious in a familiar tone.

Harry turned his head at either sides of the corridor looking for the source of the sound as he backed away from the wall.

Both ends were empty except for himself.

"Who's there!" he called out angrily wand still at hand. "Show yourself!"

Harry waited as the humming melody slowly died.

And then to his horror, at the very end of the corridor where he stood he could swear that he was seeing a mist-like figure seemingly floating and slithering along the end of the corridor towards the other direction.

He stood, frozen at the spot eyes wide.

He wasn't sure why he felt and knew it, but he was goddamn sure it wasn't a ghost.

No, ghosts were supposed to be completely transparent.

And though this one was seemingly transparent, there was something else like some distinct yet blurry colour it has.

From his distance, he couldn't tell what it was but it was slowly gliding like the ghosts in the Muggle world that he knew of.

Something wasn't right.

His heart was pumping fast, there was something that wasn't just scary about the figure but something akin to foreboding about it.

And then without warning and in a blink, it had suddenly disappeared.

Harry cleared his eyes several times but he was very alone again in the corridor.

"What the…" Harry muttered as he started to walk to the direction where he saw the figure.

He walked faster by the moment towards its direction and where it had disappeared.

But before he could even reached it, he passed a corridor and a voice sharp and loud came.

"Potter!"

Harry skidded to a halt, alarmed and surprised at the voice.

He turned a saw Laura coming out from the shadows and folding her arms across her chest as she walked towards him.

Her black boots were clicking as she walked to him and the deep, dark red long-sleeved Muggle clothing intimidated him for some reason.

"Professor!" Harry breathlessly said almost relieved to see her and see someone else in that corridor.

"Why are you here?" she asked. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

Harry stared at her unsure if she saw what he did.

"Did you see that?" Harry asked her unable to stop himself. "Did you see it?"

"See what?" she asked walking to him, eyes sharp at his direction.

Harry stared around them but it was completely empty except for the two of them.

"The.." Harry began unsure how to describe what he saw because he wasn't even sure what it was.

"What is it?" Laura asked again her eyes glinting at him.

"I wasn't.." Harry began looking for the right words. "I'm not sure what it was.. but there was someone.. something along.. Didn't you see anything here? It came just right at this corner, at this place."

Laura stared hard at him as if contemplating what he was telling her.

And then she shook her head.

"Best be at your class, Potter." Laura said. "There's nothing in here. I didn't see anything-"

"But professor, I was sure that I saw-"

"Are you getting enough sleep?" she suddenly asked him seeing the dark circles around Harry's eyes.

"Am I getting what?" Harry asked even if he did hear what he had told her.

He heard her.

And in truth, she wasn't getting enough sleep at all.

No, he had not been getting enough sleep at all since Sirius had died.

"Enough sleep." Laura said ushering him to the opposite direction. "Best get some rest after your classes, Potter. You don't look good to me."

Harry stared at her.

She didn't sound like her usual self and she did look genuinely concerned about him.

"Professor, I was sure I saw something around here." Harry said in spite of himself. "I'm not sure what it was. I'm telling you the truth."

He wasn't sure why but there was something about what he saw that he really wanted to tell her.

And something about him telling the truth seemed to matter for him to tell her.

Laura stared at her and he could swear that he saw a genuine look in her eyes that she believed him.

"Go to your class." Laura quietly said shaking her head. "I'll make a round to double check whatever that is. But I'm sure if there was any, it's gone now."

And before Harry could say anything else, Laura turned away from him with a heavy sigh, drawing her wand out from her Muggle pants.

"Stay behind, Potter." Snape ordered as the rest of the class started packing away after Potions.

The day had been long and had gone out very fast.

Harry had arrived late in some classes earning a look from the teachers and a very judgmental glare from Hermione.

The last class before dinner was Potions.

Snape had paired them for some work and since Harry was late to arrive, he was paired with the person second to the last who arrived – Malfoy.

Harry had been ready and sure that this was a plot of Snape and Malfoy but he was more than surprised when the whole class and paired work happened without Draco Malfoy even uttering anything towards him.

He was quiet and he was occupied with himself.

He worked his way through the Potion as if he was working alone.

For the first time in his life, Harry had worked closely with Draco Malfoy and has not earned any word from the boy at all.

Something was wrong.

Something was amiss.

Harry wondered and was already biting the tip of his tongue to keep himself from asking Draco if he wasn't feeling well enough that it was stopping him from mocking and saying something uncalled for within class.

He tried looking at Malfoy and one time he was about to actually see his facial features.

He looked like he lacked sleep.

There were deep and dark circles around his eyes and Harry quickly looked away incase Draco noticed that he was staring right at him.

And then he realized that Draco must have been truly affected by the arrest of his father last year at the Department of Mysterious.

The boy really did look up at the senior Malfoy and having his father arrested after being caught red-handed in the service of the Dark Lord Voldemort, it must have taken a toll on him.

But still, that didn't stop Harry from feeling that the boy was up to something this year especially after seeing him ta the corridor of the Room of Requirement.

"Potter! I said stay behind!" Snape's warning voice came again as he was lost in his thoughts at seeing Ron leave the room and before Hermione could follow him, Harry could swear to his father's grave that he saw Draco passed by Hermione at the door and very secretly and discreetly handed her something by the door before walking away very fast.

Harry stared at Hermione as she quickly pocketed whatever it was and had quickly walked out of the room as well as if nothing had just happened.

"Potter, do I need to extend your detention?" Snape's voice came again.

Harry turned, a frown and scowl over his face as he walked to Snape's desk and listened as the rest of the class left him.

"Hermione's no longer serving her detention?" Harry asked him with a sassy look over his face.

Snape glared at him.

"Miss Granger will serve her detention with professor Veregnicea. You, however, will have yours with me."

"I'm touched, professor." Harry muttered rolling his eyes.

Snape stopped rearranging the parchments over his desk and stared at him.

"For your information, Potter." Snape slowly began. "Detention with me will seemingly be a tedious task but nothing harmful."

Harry stared at him, alarmed.

"What did you say?" he asked. "What's Hermione going to do at her detention?"

Snape shook his head, an almost gleeful expression passing his eyes.

"I don't know. I'm not in the other detention, am I?" Snape replied coldly as he walked away from his table taking his wand with him.

Harry stared at his back, hatred consuming him again.

He'd do anything to have a go at Snape.

"What am I going to do?" Harry irritably and impatiently asked him. "I have other classes."

He was sure that he wasn't supposed to say that but he just couldn't help himself.

"I understand the loss of your precious and beloved godfather seems to affect you, Potter." Snape silkily began walking around the room. "But that shouldn't go around your attitude."

"Upset?" Harry asked him. "Do you want me to be gleeful that my godfather just died? Oh wait, that's not my job seeing that it is how you feel about it."

Snape's eyes glinted at him, he stared at the boy, scrutinizing him.

"Arrogant like your father." Snape muttered at him.

"I've heard all of these before, professor." Harry added at his sentence. "I apologize I can't be cheerful at you at my godfather's death. Unlike you, I have people I care about."

Suddenly, Snape walked forward and grabbed Harry's collar and pulled him sharply.

"You have absolutely no right to speak to me in this manner-" his voice was sharp and venomous. "-you are crossing the line beyond your boundaries. May I remind you that you're still my teacher and you're still a student of this school therefore-"

"How you could you stand here?" Harry asked unable to stop himself. "How can you stand with them? The Order? Lying to them when we all know that any time he rises you will abandon us-"

"I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO THIS WAY!" Snape screamed at his face and he raised his wand already and Harry prepared for the blow to fall when there was a very sharp knock by the door of his classroom.

"What on earth are you doing, Severus?!"

They both looked up and saw Lupin by the door who quickly strode inside and grabbed Harry out of Snape's hand.

"Severus?" Lupin asked alarmed seeing them both in that position.

Snape straightened up, eyes still at Harry but he looked like he had just realized what he was doing.

"Tell your favourite little student to learn to hold his tongue out or it'll be the end of it." Snape spat angrily taking his wand with him. "He's supposed to serve detention with me. I'll have McGonagall give it to him or I might murder that boy."

And without another word, he strode out of his classroom banging the door very hard behind him.

Silence took place and Harry stared up at Lupin with a slightly ashamed look about his face.

Lupin heavily sighed at him.

"Did we not just talk about this?" he gently asked Lupin as he sat down on one of the chairs burying his face in his hands in frustration.

"He was provoking me." Harry answered knowing that was the worst answer ever.

"He was provoking you?" Lupin repeated skeptically with a raised brow. "Really?"

Harry bowed his face down, ashamed to look at his father's bestfriend.

"Are you James?" Lupin asked in an annoyed tone. "Harry, we've already talked about this."

"I know, I'm sorry." Harry said looking up at him again.

Lupin stared at him an obvious pity moving around his facial features.

"Get some sleep." he advised Harry. "Please. Just stay out of trouble this year."

And before Harry could even apologize further and take back what has happened, Lupin left him in the classroom.

He knew that he had disappointed him time again – his father's bestfriend and the man in the Order who seeming to be the only one willing to talk to him outside its movement.

Harry tossed and turned in his sleep that night.

It had been hours until he had fallen asleep and when he did, odd nightmares visited him again.

" _What's going on.." Harry whispered as he walked down a corridor that was illuminated by what looked like odd glows._

 _The corridor was darkly lit, long and there was an odd stench around it._

" _Hello?" Harry called out and his voice only bounced back in an echo._

 _He looked around him and was sure that this wasn't of Hogwarts at all._

 _If any, it resembled the tunnel that led the Shrieking Shack to Hogsmeade._

 _But there was something different and daunting about this place._

" _Hello?" he called out again._

 _He walked in what felt like soil as grounds and the heat in the room was getting worse as he walked forward._

 _It wasn't until he reached a wall and touched it did he realized that the odd glows around him were actually melting candles._

 _His head turned sharply around him and he tried fretting for his wand._

 _The room was lit and filled with atleast a thousand melting candles all paneled along the floor and plastered against the walls._

 _He could suddenly feel the heat growing unbearable._

 _His eyes moved around, trying to look for a door but there was nothing._

 _And then something caught his eyes._

 _Something was shinning against the floor and the wall._

 _Walking with caution, Harry moved forward and bent over to the shimmering liquid over the floor that led to the wall._

 _He reached forward and touched it and realizing as he looked around, it was dripping from the melting candles._

" _Blood." Harry muttered in horror as his heart began to thump fast at the realization._

 _Harry's eyes moved around him again and he realized where he was._

 _It looked like he was in a deeply abandoned catacomb._

 _Suddenly, Harry felt that he couldn't brath._

 _The melting candles' heat were taking all the energy and oxygen of the place._

 _And then he heard it again._

 _The very same humming melody he heard before._

 _It was humming a distinct and almost familiar tune._

" _Who's there?" Harry asked in panic turning around him and almost slipping onto the damp soiled grounds he was standing upon._

 _Harry turned and tried to walk and walk fast out from the place._

 _But the faster and further he went, the corridor and end of the tunnel seemed to go farther, extending into an endless pit._

 _He started to panic._

 _He stopped on his tracks feeling helpless and brathless._

" _Ron!" he called out. "Hermione!"_

 _And then as he turned, he suddenly stood faced to face with the dark haired man._

 _It was the same man he saw in his dreams before._

 _He was slightly taller than he remembered and was staring at him with his gentle and kind eyes._

" _Who are you?" he asked trying not to panic as he stared at the man who was standing a few feet from him._

 _At first he thought he was at him and then he realized that the man was actually staring right through him and not at him._

 _He was looking at something else._

 _Harry opened his mouth to ask him again when his thin lips softly and gently opened up._

 _Words came out and his voice was gentle like that of an angel._

" _It's about to happen." his voice came. "Don't let it happen. Don't let it happen."_

 _And before Harry could ask what it was all about, the soil at his feet began to crumble fast and then he was being swallowed by the ground that began to turn into a thickly rich liquid that looked a lot like blood._


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Notes:**_ _**Rainy season in my country!**_ _**I'm back.**_ _**So I'm back into writing on all my works.**_ _**My music recital for my students just finished last Sunday. We did it at my old uni at the very same hall I had my graduation recital a year and a half ago and hey, it was great.**_ _**My students played good and I'm very proud and happy for each of them.**_ _**How is everyone doing?**_ _**Rainy season and back to regular work. I do have extra time in my hands so I can write a bit more especially over the weekend since my recitalists' classes haven't resumed yet.**_ _**Hope all is well at your end.**_ _**Please do enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think.**_ _**If there is any beta out there willing to beta this, just message me.**_ _**Thank you!**_ _**PS**_ _**Like my other stories, i'm using the 'italic' parts writing as flashbacks and dreams in my stories.**_

 **Chapter Six**

 **Mysteries and Secrets**

 _"_ _Are you sure about this?" his calm voice asked her as his eyes stared worried at her._

 _"_ _Yes." she replied in a heartbeat._

 _Silence came between them._

 _She heard him walk closer to her, cautious but determined._

 _"_ _You still have a few hours to think about this." he gently offered her as he shifted closer and she felt his hands on either side of her shoulders. "I assure you that you still have time."_

 _"_ _I don't have time and I don't want anything else." she replied slowly turning to him to meet his eyes. "This is what I want. This is what I desire. You understand that, yes?"_

 _He looked at her, pain in his eyes at his reluctance to go through this._

 _But he understood her._

 _"_ _Yes." he replied closing his eyes and moving his face to hers to kiss her forehead. "Yes, I do. And I will be with you until the end."_

 _She sighed, her muscles relaxed as she rested her head on his._

 _She could feel his labored breathing telling her that despite that he understood her and would be with her through this plan, he was not agreeing with it._

 _He never agreed with it but his affection for her was above all of his other feelings._

 _"_ _Is everyone else ready?" she asked breaking the skin contact of their forehead as she looked up at him._

 _He stared back at her black eyes._

 _"_ _Yes." he replied looking at her gentle and happy eyes. "But I do not understand why some people needs to be within this plan. I don't trust them."_

 _Her brows furrowed but she gave him an assuring smile._

 _"_ _They're my friends." she told him pressing his hand into hers. "And I trust them. Don't you trust your friends too? And aren't they with us?"_

 _He looked at her reluctantly again._

 _It was like he was going to withdraw from the plan._

 _"_ _Yes?" she pressed on. "They're in it but I don't like some of them."_

 _"_ _You only don't like one of them." he told her nodding at her. "I don't understand why they have to be here."_

 _"_ _Because we need them." she replied. "Trust my judgment. Despite all of this, beyond all of this, they have something to gain. A gain they can't refuse. You trust me, right?"_

 _He didn't feel right about tonight._

 _He had told her time and again that it wasn't a good idea – that they weren't a good idea to go with through the plan._

 _But time and again, she reminded him that she trusted them and that for as long as they had something to gain out from it, they would not betray her or any of them._

 _But other than her, he didn't trust anyone else outside the three other people he trusted in the world._

 _His eyes moved to her and he knew that she was determined to go through with it and will remain with her decision no matter the consequences or reasons he would give her._

 _"_ _Do you trust me?" her voice came hopefully waking him away from his own thoughts._

 _He looked at her, unwilling to answer that because despite that his mind told him differently, his heart couldn't deny the truth._

 _"_ _Yes." he answered her placing his arms around her again and this time, tightly embracing her as if it was the last time he could do it. "I trust you completely."_

"This can't be happening." Harry muttered to himself as he closed his eyes, lips tightened.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice came. "Is everything alright?"

Things didn't feel right.

His scar was slightly hurting at the moment as they sat by the Common Room finishing their homework.

"I'm fine." Harry answered looking up at her and then quickly looking back over the parchments over his lap.

He tried to calm himself down and tried to ignore the growing pain.

He didn't want to make a fuss and if Hermione finds out, it'll soon be a big deal.

But Hermione wasn't one to be easily swayed off.

"You look pale." Hermione pointed out moving a little closer to him from across the couch. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Yes." Harry said forcing a smile so she would put the subject down. "I'm good."

In fact, nothing was good.

He felt terrible.

He had been lacking sleep as everytime he slept he was having the same nightmare over and over again.

He didn't feel good as well that Lupin seems to be ignoring him or rather most of his questions at the little time he sees him.

He was serving detention with McGonagal with a schedule that will coincide with a Quidditch practice.

And on top of all of that, he was being kept from the plans of the Order against the Dark Lord.

Yes, everything was fine.

"How was detention?" Harry asked trying to ignore the pain again as it slowly ebbed away. "What did she make you do?"

"Nothing." Hermione casually replied moving away from him and returning to her work. "We did a little bit of archiving her reference books and I helped her clean and organize one of her drawers."

"She what?" Ron curiously asked joining them. "I thought she made you do something terrible?"

"What?" Hermione asked turning at the boys.

"Snape said." Harry quickly said in defense.

"Professor Snape." she irritably corrected him. "What did he tell you?"

"Well he told me differently." Harry reasoned. "He told me that you'll serve a worse detention than I would when he split up the detention."

"No." Hermione answered him with a look over her face. "I was worried about you the whole time we were cleaning in her office."

"So nothing drastic or painful?" Ron asked staring over her parchment for homework answers.

"Painful?" Hermione asked rolling her eyes at them. "What did you think I was going to serve? Azkaban?"

The two boys stared at her in disbelief.

"So she didn't ask you to do anything that was dangerous or anything?" Ron asked again for assurance.

"She didn't make me do anything unreasonable." Hermione said. "If anything, it was just like I was cleaning her small library collection. I wouldn't mind doing it again."

"You wouldn't mind doing it again?" Ron repeated with a tone.

"Yes." Hermione replied. "And she even showed me her full collection. Told me should there be anything I need, I can check if she has a reference."

"What is this?" Ron asked her. "Some Muggle-Buddy hanging out in her library? Did she just buy you with her books?"

"Unbelievable, Ronald." Hermione snapped at him. "She was just being nice."

"There's nothing nice about that woman." Ron snapped back at her. "Remember. She's different and she's quiet. And you know what they say about the quiet ones?"

"No." Hermione lashed at him. "But I know what they say about people who speak ill of others without knowing everything."

Harry stared at his friends, unwilling to join in their argument about Laura and her intentions around the school.

Harry wanted to inquire more about her detention but seeing Hermione enraged now, he didn't want to further anger her.

"I'm not sure, 'Mione." Ron told her putting down his things and staring closely at her. "But I know when people are lying."

"Excuse me?" Hermione incredulously said eyes wide at him as Harry moved forward alarmed now between the two of them.

"You said you were going to get some references after detention." Ron pointed out breathlessly. "But you've been somewhere else."

"I haven't been anywhere else after detention." Hermione said. "I got my references right after."

"You're lying." Ron said unable to control himself. "Neville said he saw you leaving the greenhouses."

Harry quickly looked back at Hermione whose eyes had widened for a split moment but she had quickly recovered herself.

"I was doing it for Herbology." Hermione said suddenly avoiding their gazes. "I haven't finished it."

"You haven't finished it?" Ron continued. "Really? Since when were you ever late and behind to your own study schedule?"

"Would you be interested in seeing my study planner?" Hermione angrily said this time around.

"No." Ron argued back. "But I'm interested to know why you were with Malfoy."

Harry's eyes turned from him towards Hermione and this time, he was very sure that Hermione had turned pale and looked guilty for something.

"Malfoy?" Harry slowly asked her. "Why were you with Malfoy?"

"Don't deny it." Ron said. "Neville said he was sure that it was Malfoy. He saw him leave the place after you."

"He must be mistaken." Hermione casually answered avoiding his gaze.

She turned to her things, aware that the two boys were staring closely at her.

"No, I don't think so." Ron said. "Neville sounded very sure of what he saw. Tall, blonde, Slytherin robes – and let's not forget a jerk-"

"Ron, I was just-"

"Neville saw you." Ron pointed out dropping his books over the floor. "He was going to return a book to professor Sprout but she wasn't there so he decided to leave but he heard someone leaving one of the greenhouses. He saw you, Hermione. And he saw Malfoy after you."

Hermione's face turned to him and Harry saw a different kind of scowl in her face.

She was staring at Ron with a very dark stark in her eyes.

"I said, I was alone." Hermione said. "If Malfoy was following me, I think I'd know and I'd hex him if he was trying something."

"That's not what Neville saw." Ron said sitting at the edge of the couch. "Is there anything you would like to tell us?"

"Enough!" Harry suddenly said staring at the two of them. "I'm having a headache. I don't want you two to add up to that."

"Hey! Where are you going?" Hermione called out darkly staring at Harry's suddenly retreating form.

"I want to see Lupin. Or I just want to be alone." Harry called back at her with an obvious irritation in his voice.

And without another word, he disappeared from the Common Room

Harry raced his way to Lupin's old office where he knew the headmaster let him use again as Laura was using a different room anyway and not the usual Defense Against the Dark Arts quarters for the teachers.

Harry found Lupin at the end of the corridor that led to the library before the staircase that led to his quarters but he was also walking fast.

He ran after Lupin but his attention was focused somewhere else.

"Laura!" Lupin's voice called out. "Laura!"

She acted like she completely didn't hear him but he knew that she did.

"Laura, please." Lupin's gentle voice echoed behind her as he reached her and he quickly caught her arm.

They stood at the corridor they thought were empty – except that Harry was at the very end of it, watching them quietly and closely.

"Laura." Lupin's voice called her name again.

She stood before him, unmoving and back turned to him while he still held her arm.

Something about the two of them being alone felt different.

Harry noticed that Lupin's voice sounded different, strange.

Suddenly, Laura turned to him.

From the distance, Harry could see Laura's features and could tell that she was wearing an indifferent expression.

Something she didn't wear when other people were around.

"What do you want?" she quietly asked him.

Her head turned around them as if expecting that someone was spying on them.

"What's wrong?" Lupin asked. "It's just us here. We can talk somewhere else."

"I don't have time." Laura said staring back at him. "Did I not give you enough time already?"

"That was fifteen minutes." Lupin said holding her close but Laura remained unmoved by his gesture. "I mean, can't we really talk?"

Her black eyes moved from his hand around her arm and then up at his face.

"I'm sorry." Lupin quickly said gently removing his hand from her arm and keeping a small distance between them. "I didn't mean to be aggressive."

Silence passed them.

"Why are you here?" Laura's voice came after a while. "Why are you staying here?"

"I came under the headmaster's orders." Lupin answered truthfully. "He needed my help."

"So cat's out in the bag, right?" Laura said and her tone was suddenly different. "After all this time, the headmaster doesn't really trust me that he has to ask his little group of-"

"I'm here because Voldemort is gaining power and the headmaster needs me to be here as extra protection for the boy." Lupin cut her out.

Harry couldn't see his face but he was sure that Lupin was giving Laura one of his important and serious looking facial expressions.

Laura's features changed and her eyebrows were slightly raised.

"Then do your job." Laura said moving a step away from him. "Focus on that and stop following me around."

"But I want to talk." Lupin insisted. "Don't you want to talk with me?"

"There is nothing we should talk about." Laura told him with a heavy sigh. "Lupin-"

"You will call me that?" Lupin asked her. "You will really call me that?"

Harry watched as her expression completely changed – she was suddenly giving him a kind smile, a genuine smile and for the first time, he saw her features relaxed.

It was as if she trusted him to see the real woman that she was – and only to him.

 _"_ _Remus."_ Laura's voice gently came. "Please. You're making all of these more difficult than it already is-"

"No." Lupin answered her. "You're making this difficult. Please."

"Remus, I'm just content to where I am. Please let's not go all over this again."

It was a tone Harry has never heard from her and never imagined of hearing from her.

Lupin moved closer her and Harry saw him place both his hands on either side of her shoulders.

"At the weekend." Lupin offered her. "A drink at Hogsmeade."

"We are not children, Remus." Laura said in a tired voice. "Why do you insist on this?"

"For old time's sake." Lupin said moving closer her and Laura's eyes widened for a moment at the sudden movement from Lupin. "I want to know how you have been doing."

"You know how I've been doing all these years." Laura said and she gently moved his arms off the sides of her shoulders. "Please stop this. There is absolutely nothing to talk about."

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you." Laura answered him. "But I want you to know that things aren't the same. Just leave me alone."

"Dumbledore trusts you." Lupin said taking a step back from him. "I need you to know that you can still trust me."

Her black eyes moved to his and their glares matched.

"Do you trust me?" Laura suddenly asked him, a challenge in her eyes and her tone back into its coldness. "Do you trust me, Remus?"

Harry listened, crouched painfully at the end of the corridor as he tried to hear Lupin's answer as he continued to spy on the two.

"Yes." Lupin answered in a heartbeat. "I trust you more than anyone in this castle."

There was a gleam in Laura's eyes and then she gently moved him from her.

"You're a trusting man." Laura said walking away from him. "You should be careful."

He watched as she began to walk away from him and Harry quickly moved away from sight.

He stared as Laura stopped her steps but didn't turn back at Lupin.

"I haven't forgotten, Laura." Lupin called desperately back at her. "You can still trust me. After everything, after all this time, you know you can trust me."

Laura sighed heavily, closing her eyes and opening them again as if restraining herself from doing something she was going to sorely regret.

"I know that." Laura said as she slowly folded her arms back into her usual cold façade. "I know that you're still here for me."

And then with that, she began walking away from him leaving Lupin standing and staring after her wake.

 **Thursday..**

"I will bet galleons and all that something is definitely going on between them." Ron gloated as he waited for their last class to wrap up before lunch. "I mean, come on. The way you heard them? We've never heard him that way."

"I don't know.. I'm not sure it's supposed to be somewhere romantic or what." Harry said as he packed his things as they finished Transfiguration. "Did it sound romantic, Hermione?"

"I don't know." Hermione snapped at them both as she zipped her bag. "First of all, it's not my business and secondly, I wasn't there to hear. And don't you feel bad about it?"

"About what?" Ron asked her staring at the two.

Harry looked away from her, ashamed of himself for what he did.

"About spying on Lupin." Hermione said scowling at them. "I mean that moment was obviously and supposedly private for the two of them."

Harry opened his mouth to say something but McGonagall suddenly spoke.

"Would you three like to go or are you staying to sit-in at the first year class?" McGonagall's cold and strict voice came.

The three looked around and first years began filing in the classroom and most of them staring up at Harry realizing who it was.

Annoyed by the first years gawking over his forehead, Harry nodded and quickly left the classroom with the other two.

The three of them were continuing on an argument about an assignment when at the opposite corridor from the moving staircase, they all saw Laura.

She was walking fast and her face was straight ahead of her as if she was in a hurry for something important.

"Who is that?" Harry asked from their distance pointing at Laura's disappearing form.

"Who's who?" Hermione asked as they turned to another staircase to lead back to their Common Room for an hour of free period before lunch.

"The man behind her." Harry casually said. "Are there more visitors we don't know of?"

Hermione halted in her steps that made Harry and Ron nearly bumped into one another as they followed and walked closely behind her.

"What man?" Hermione asked turning to Harry. "Laura was alone."  
"No." Harry said. "There's that man – didn't you-"

"She was alone, mate." Ron said reluctantly staring at Harry. "I saw her first walking but she wasn't with anyone. Trick of light?"

"We're at the windowless corridor, Ronald." Hermione said rolling her eyes at Ron. "There's no trick of light. More like you're hungry or something."

Harry stared at her then back at Ron and back at the way where Laura had gone.

He was almost too sure that he saw someone behind her.

 _Almost._

Hermione opened her mouth to reprimand him again when his eyes suddenly widened.

The man was walking carefully at exactly the same place where Laura had gone.

"There he is!" Harry suddenly said pointing wildly across the corridor. "I told you there's someone-"

"Harry, wait!" Hermione called out as she and Ron rushed behind him as he tried to run back at the staircase to cross at the other side.

Harry made his way to the man walking to the corridor leading to Laura's office.

He could barely see who it was but he kept his eyes on the man as he made his way closer.

"Harry!"

He could hear the other two trying to catch up behind him, his name echoing from their mouths.

"Who are we following?" Ron asked Hermione as they marched up two more staircases because Harry had turned into another corridor instead of the one they thought he was making his way to.

"Harry." Hermione breathlessly answered. "We're following, Harry."

"And who the hell is he going after?" Ron asked as they breathlessly tried to catch up after Harry.

Soon, they realized that they were all just led back in circles and into the corridor that led back to the grand staircase.

"Wait up!" Harry called halting into a corridor as the man continued to walk to the other direction. "Wait!"

Finally, he reached some light and realized they were just almost back at the grand staircase.

He looked around him and Hermione and Ron were just nearing him and just as he turned back, the man was gone.

He was completely alone in the corridor with Hermione and Ron's footsteps bearing the only noises around him.

"Harry, stop.." Ron breathlessly said. "Harry.."

"Where did he go?" Harry gasped looking around the corridors. "Where did he go?"

"Where did who go?" Hermione asked catching up after the boys.

She looked around to where Harry and Ron was also looking but there wasn't anyone else in the corridor.

"This is stupid." Hermione said. "Who were you running after?"

"The man." Harry insisted. "The one I told you about before. He disappeared again."

He looked around him, calling out with nothing but the echo of his voice returning to him.

"Harry, nobody disappeared." Ron told him. "There was no one here in the first place."

"No, I was-" Harry began looking around him then back at his two friends who were both staring at him in a particular way. "I was –"

"I think we should go back." Hermione offered him. "There's nothing around here, Harry."

He looked at her and saw the worry in her face and back at Ron who was staring at him with question in his eyes.

He looked around him again, double checking but they were alone in the corridor.

"I wasn't lying." Harry said irritably. "I know what I saw."

"Let's just go back, mate." Ron said offering his hand to him. "Let's just go."

"I'm not lying." Harry said shoving his hand away and walking away from the two. "I know what I saw."

"Harry, come back!" Hermione said calling after him and edging Ron they follow him again. "Harry, let's go back to the dormitory-"

"Harry!" Ron called out after him irritated at Hermione's persistence to get to Harry. "We believe you but let's go back-"

But he didn't look back at them.

He felt confused and disappointed and humiliated all at the same time.

This wasn't the first time this happened and he didn't feel good about it repeating at all.

"Did you see what he was looking at?" Ron asked Hermione as they followed Harry.

"No." Hermione whispered back at him. "There was nobody. It was just Harry. This is bothersome."

"Disturbing." Ron agreed with her. "We need to get him back to the Common Room before-"

 _"_ _NOOOOOOOO!_ " Harry's earsplitting voice suddenly screamed all the way down the hallway.

Hermione and Ron stared at one another and then quickly ran as fast as they could towards Harry's echoing voice.

They caught up with him atop the main staircase that led down to the Great Hall and he was on the floor, eyes wide as he wildly looked around him.

"Blood!" he was screaming pointing at the floor. "Blood – but careful!"

Hermione and Ron stared at one another and all around Harry with a worried expression over their faces.

"Harry-" Hermione said carefully approaching him. "Harry, there's no bloody-"

"Can't you see it?" Harry said pointing over the floor. "It's all over-"

"Harry, there's no blood!" Hermione anxiously said as she tried to help Ron pull Harry up to his feet.

But Harry was barely listening to them.

His eyes were wide at the pool of blood all over the floor, all around them.

Why couldn't Hermione and Ron see what he was seeing?

There was blood everywhere and they were stepping right on top of the pool of it.

"Why won't you believe me?" Harry called at them as his eyes moved around the shimmering crimson pool around them.

"Get him up, get him up." Hermione whispered at Ron alarmed as they heard doors opening.

It was lunch time.

People were going to swarm around the main corridor soon and they were all going to see Harry at that state.

"Come, come up." Ron struggled to get him up with Hermione bearing his other arm. "Harry, mate – come on, we'll talk about this at the Common Room-"

"Ron, hurry-" Hermione said as she grabbed Harry's bag and fallen books over the floor as they both tried to pull him up to his feet or at the least at the side of the hallway.

But Harry wasn't focused and soon, it was too late.

Footsteps started to echo and floor around them as voices and noises began all over.

Classes had been dismissed and everyone else was going to pass the very corridor they were in to head for the Great Hall for lunch.

"Call the headmaster!" Harry said pulling the hem of Ron's robes. "Just call the headmaster and-"

"Harry, keep it down!" Hermione angrily said. "There's no blood! You've got to bloody calm down or people will see you-"

"I am telling you!" Harry angrily said pointing around him. "There's bloody everywhere and-"

"Get a grip, mate!" Ron warned him seeing that he was getting angry at Hermione now. "Keep it down! There's no freaking-"

"I said there's bloody everywhere!" Harry angrily screamed at him as he helped himself up to his feet and pointed all around him.

His voice echoed all around him and soon, his fear was realized.

People were slowly gathered around the room, halting at the scene before them and completely seeing him scream about bloody.

His heart thudded fast as he looked around him and realized that eyes were on him.

Hermione and Ron stood near him and were both looking worried at him.

His eyes moved across the room and he realized that the corridor and the floor were completely dry.

 _Not a single drop of blood could be seen around._

"No, it can't – I was – I was sure-" Harry breathlessly said seeing some teachers were already walking forward to see what was causing the blockage at the corridor.

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry turned and saw professor McGonagall staring worriedly at him.

"What's going on, Mr. Potter?" she asked walking forward as the crowd let her through.

" _He was screaming blood."_ drawled a deep yet amused voice.

The trio turned and saw Draco come out from the crowd at the end of the other staircase where a full class was descending from a dismissed lesson.

Harry's eyes flashed at his direction.

Draco looked particularly triumphant about something.

His eyes were focused back at Harry, hands in his pockets and he gestured to professor McGonagall.

"Mr. Malfoy." McGonagall began. "If you haven't got anything to say-"

"We were heading for lunch, professor." Draco said nodding at McGonagall and walking closer to Harry's direction. "And then we heard some running and screaming. We heard a voice screaming about blood. Isn't that right, _Granger?"_

Hermione's face turned red as Draco, out of the blue, turned to her of all people.

Her faced furiously blushed and she looked completely assaulted by Draco's gesture.

Harry stared at Draco then back at Hermione then back again.

Something in the way that Draco spoke to her then smile at his direction felt terribly wrong.

He was missing something in there but at the moment, it wasn't the time to ponder because everyone was looking at him as if he had grown an extra head.

The crowd gathered closer and most teachers were there already, staring avidly at him and waiting for his answer.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Notes:**_ _**OMG I'M ALIVE.**_ _**I am atleast trying to stay.**_ _**I have tried since Monday to update each story I've got and for today, Wednesday (i'm from east coast) I am going to update this one.**_ _**I have not abandoned this or any of my stories.**_ _**Life and writer's block are just getting in the way.**_ _**Anyway interested to Beta this one, kindly message me.**_ _**And yes, it's decided that this is a Dramione story although it is also focused on Harry and probably a bit of the Marauders.**_ ___**Welcome to all my new readers, I'm sending lots of love and thank you to my old readers, there's a chapter for you and thank you for being patient to my out of the blue will she ever update ever again hahahahaha.**_ ___**I've only been busy with my teaching and stuff.**_ _**As i've said, by day i'm a music teacher.**_ _**Any advice on how i could advertise better?**_  
 _ **It's the random season of the year so lessons aren't much.**_ _**speaking of careers, anyone willing to share what they do for day job when they're note reading or writing fanfics or anything?**_ ___**Lots of love**_ _**xx**_

 _ **Chapter Seven**_

 _ **A Bloody Message**_

"Mr. Potter, please." McGonagall began as they sat in her office. "I would not want to judge you or punish you for something at this point. But you have to tell me what exactly happened."

Harry remained silent as he sat before her desk.

He wasn't sure how to answer her question.

"Mr. Potter, please." McGonagall began as they sat in her office. "I would not want to punish you at

After his screaming and the attention and the humiliation that was then bestowed upon his bearing, he wasn't sure anymore of what to do.

Draco Malfoy basked at the event that took place a few moments ago by calling him something he didn't want to think about and pointing over the crowd that he had been screaming for nothing like a crazy idiot.

And thanks to Malfoy, the whole school now thinks that his grieving over Sirius' death had taken its toll on him and had unhinged him completely.

Draco Malfoy's scrutinizing the situation didn't help the whole situation and if any, only egged and damaged his reputation for the school year.

Not that he cares of what Malfoy does but he did care about the idea that he had planted on the student body.

He had hoped that Ron and Hermione would understand him or would believe what he had seen.

But after all the blood he had seen and screamed for had vanished right then and there, even Ron and Hermione stared back at him with utmost reluctance and fear in their eyes.

"You heard me, professor." Harry simply told her. "I saw what I saw."

McGonagall stared at him, contemplating an answer and studying him carefully.

"I do not say that I don't believe you." McGonagall sighed heavily. "But I need an explanation because no one else saw what you did."

"There was blood everywhere." Harry pressed on not meeting her eyes. "Blood everywhere and there is this-"

He stopped and looked up at her and realized that McGonagall's expression only told him that even if she did believe him, she couldn't bring herself fully to it unless he had a solid and identified answer.

"Mr. Potter-"

"I know what I saw, professor." Harry bitterly said controlling his temper. "I'm sure of it. And I don't understand why no one else saw what I did.

"But the thing is no one else saw what you did." McGonagall said straightening up and staring back at his fidgeting fingers over his lap. "Stop that."

Harry looked up at her and immediately stopped this little habit he had developed over the summer when he was either angry or anxious.

"Are you getting enough sleep?" she inquired then. "Enough sleep after classes and after Quidditch?"

"Yes." Harry said. "And Veregnicea suspended me from one practice and game."

"I heard." McGonagall told him. "I am doing my best to fix that which is unlikely to happen if you keep doing things that are.. not very ordinary of you."

"Not ordinary of me?" Harry repeated incredulously as he began to lose his patience. "Professor, I know what I saw – I'm not sure why no one else did – but I was sure that there was blood everywhere."

"Harry, please-"

"I know what I saw!" he said standing up, eyes wide at McGonagall. "I don't understand why it vanished and why nobody would believe in me!"

Her eyes were wide at him.

She wasn't afraid or angry, she was worried.

Harry stared back at her and after a moment, must have realized his behavior.

He quickly sat back down and apologized for it.

"I will exclude you for a few weeks from practices." McGonagall said with finality in his tone that made Harry open his mouth to argue but she only held up a hand to stop him. "Get enough rest and we will talk after two weeks."

"Are you suspending me too?" Harry asked unable to hide the disappointment and anger in his voice. "Are you blaming me for something?  
"I'm not blaming you for anything, Mr. Potter." McGonagall clearly told him. "But I want you to take enough rest as to avoid all these hallucinations-"

"I'm not hallucinating!" Harry argued with her. "I'm not running mad!"

"Mr. Potter-"

"I saw it!" Harry exclaimed at her. "I saw it – I'm sure – there was this man and I followed him!"

"A man?" McGonagall repeated raising her eyebrows. "What man?"

"A man, professor." Harry impatiently answered. "There was a man back there walking after Veregnicea like the other day and –"

"First off, Mr. Potter- " McGonagall sternly said. "- you are to address all superiors 'professor' – and that includes professor Laura Veregnicea."

Harry stared back at her, disbelieving that she was still correcting him despite what he was trying to tell her.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, professor."

"What about this man?" McGonagall asked him. "I think the staff would know if there is any other adult in Hogwarts that is either faculty or staff."

"I don't know who he is." Harry said. "That's why I got curious and followed them. He has dark hair – he looks just about the same age as her or Snape-"

"Professor Snape –"

"He's definitely not a student – dark eyes and good looks and slightly lengthy dark hair and he has this air-"

"Harry." McGonagall's voice was short and calm but her tone in interrupting made Harry stop.

"I'm telling the truth." Harry simply said

She looked back at him as if unsure how to tell him her next words.

"Professor-"

"Harry, it sounds to me like you're just describing young Sirius Black."

Harry blinked at her and stared.

There was still the hint of pain in her voice and she was then very careful with her next words that as it were, her voice suddenly sounded motherly.

"Mr. Potter, I know this is not any easy for you. To be back here after.. after everything.. to live further like nothing- we have all been affected, Mr. Potter. But if what happened last year upsets you-"

"I'm not upset!" Harry suddenly said, eyes wide. "I'm not a child! I'm telling you the truth – I have no reason to lie to you!"

There was silence between them as Harry knew that despite that she believed him, his actions were showing otherwise.

And the further he showed his agitation towards the situation, he knew that the farther he was from gaining what he wanted – to be believed for the truth he was telling.

"Is there anything else, professor?" Harry softly said in a defeated tone sitting back down.

McGonagall looked calm but remained alert at his behavior.

"Is there anything else that you would like to tell me?" she asked slowly.

Harry stared back at her.

Was she asking him to apologize or was she giving him a last chance to rebuke what he had said?

He wasn't sure.

"I'm sorry." Harry said not really meaning it. "I apologize for the behavior, professor. I'll get some sleep."

McGonagall stared at him for a moment then gave him an approving glare.

"Should there be anything you are welcome to come to me to talk about it but please avoid that kind of behavior." She said giving him a nod that he could leave. "We don't want things.. spreading this way about you."

Harry stared at her and gave a curt nod in understanding what she meant by that.

Should the Dark Lord find out any weakness in his side, he was sure to use it against him to win the battle that they all knew would soon commence.

Harry nodded at McGonagall for the last time and took his belongings with him and left the room without another word.

"Do you think he's alright?"

Hermione looked up at Ron from the book she was reading.

It was half past ten already and Harry hasn't returned since they parted earlier on.

Hermione wanted to go to the library a few hours earlier to look for him but Ron told him that maybe Harry needed some time off and he was possibly just at Hagrid's finding some fresh air.

"I don't know." she honestly answered looking back down to the book she was reading. "I supposed he'll come back soon. We have a homework to do."

"Are you really more concerned about homework than Harry at the moment?" Ron asked skeptically looking at her.

She eyed him momentarily before turning another page from what she was reading.

"We were both there, Ronald." Hermione snapped at him. "We both saw nothing of what he was screaming and you know that."

"So what are you saying?" Ron asked her with a raised brow. "You don't believe him cause you didn't see anything?"

"I'm saying he needs sleep." Hermione pointed out. "He's been dreaming a lot lately, isn't he? You told me about it. What if this is because he lacks sleep-"

"He's hallucinating because he lacks sleep?" Ron repeated incredulously back at her. "You seriously don't believe him?"

Hermione snapped her book shut.

She hated it when either of the two interrupted her reading time.

"I'm saying he needs rest and I'm saying that we both know that we didn't see anything. I didn't see anything. Did you?"

"I didn't." Ron slowly said avoiding her gaze. "I didn't either."

"Will you lie to Harry that you saw something to make him feel comfortable when he talks to us about it later?" she asked in a challenge.

"No." Ron immediately answered. "He's going to know that we're lying."

"Exactly." Hermione pointed out. "He'll be better once he gets more sleep. Tell him to try it when he has free time."

"Did we not just miss what he could be pointing at?" Ron said unable to drop the subject. "We could have missed it."

"Ron, he was screaming for blood." Hermione impatiently told him. "There was no blood everywhere and after professor McGonagall took Harry, we returned to the spot and started checking all the near corridors. There's absolutely nothing."

He looked back at her in worry.

She was right.

But he couldn't shake off the fact that they needed to believe Harry.

In truth, they believed him that he was seeing something or whatever it was.

But where was the evidence of that?

Harry had spent another night full on tossing and turning over his bed as the same dreams occurred once more.

He was back in the endless tunnel filled with melting candles that lit it to its infinite length.

He breathed heavily, inhaling the mesmerizing and yet alarming odor around him.

He tried to calm himself down telling himself this was the same dream all over and all he needed to do was understand the message it was trying to tell him.

He looked around him, a little bit sure of himself and sure of what he wanted to do in this dream.

This was his dream and he knew that he could somehow, hopefully, take control over it.

The walls remained the same, glistening with something that he had already been suspecting to be blood but didn't have enough courage to go over and verify for himself.

Looking down at his feet, he stood and walked on the same grimy looking, damp ridden ground.

Based on all these and the way the light and shadows were casted, the whole tunnel depended on the light from the candles and nothing came from natural light.

He was in an underground tunnel that was for sure.

But where did the tunnel lead?

Harry tried to walk forward as careful as he could.

There it was again.

The figure he knew would show up at the end of the tunnel.

But he wasn't afraid this time.

He knew of it and he had been expecting it; after all, the same figure had been visiting him in his waking life.

And then as he had expected it, the humming melody began again.

It was the same all over: the candles, the tunnel, the damp grounds, the figure and then the humming melody.

All that lacked now was one thing: the bloody message.

And it soon appeared.

At the wall close him, the bloody message was written again.

But he could never distinguish what it was.

He forced himself to walk forward it but his legs suddenly felt heavy and the lack of air and abundant amount of candles in the room began to suffocate him.

His visions started to blur but he forced himself forward the wall to read the bloody message.

It reminded him a lot of the way the bloody message was written in the Chamber of Secrets in his second year.

But something about this one felt different – felt a lot more dangerous than the previous encounter to such idea.

And just as he neared it, just as he was close to it and visibly able to read the message, something knew happened in his dream.

Somewhere in the tunnel, a loud clanking of something that had fallen echoed all throughout the tunnel and as he turned he heard it clearly.

Coins after coins were clanking and echoing all over the tunnel as if they had fallen from some aerial space and were tossed out to roll all over the ground.

But that was odd.

The tunnel was made of grimy soil-like ground – coins wouldn't bounce off and echo.

Unless there was another room somewhere around him that had solid ground.

Harry turned around, quick in his thinking and the bloody message was again.

He closed his eyes knowing what would come up next – the ground began to disperse and turn into a melting ground that began to take him in down with it in its bloody form.

He started to scream uncontrollably again and then he woke up, breathless and sweating from another nightmare.

Friday…

It was half past two in the morning and Harry could no longer go back to sleep.

Deciding he wanted to watch the hearth in the Common Room where he used to talk to Sirius, he went downstairs.

He was only halfway to it when he heard the dormitory's portrait hole close.

His eyes quirked as he heard footsteps down the Common Room area.

Someone had just come back in their dormitory at this hour.

Curiosity got the better of him and like a discreet cat, he slowly walked down the steps to see who it was.

"Bloody hell, Harry!" Hermione shocked voice yelped as they almost hit head on against one another as she started taking the stairs up the girls' dormitory while he was making his way down.

"What the bloody.." he stared at her, shocked and relieved at the same time to see that it was just her and not some hallucination that he didn't want to deal with at that ungodly hour.

"What are you doing?" she asked in an accusatory tone. "Why are you awake?"

"I was-" he began until he realized that it was her who had some explaining to do. "Where were you? It's nearly three, where have you been?"

She looked back at him, for a moment she looked harassed at his question and her eyes quivered and she blinked.

Her mistake.

Harry immediately knew that there was something.

"Where have you been?" he asked her suspiciously. "Don't tell me the library because it closes before midnight."

"At the kitchens." Hermione was quick to answer pointing to her stomach. "I got a little hungry."

"Really?" Harry asked her. "Where's the food?"

"I already ate it, ofcourse." Hermione snapped at him moving past him but Harry didn't let her.

"Can you prove that?" he asked her further sounding a little bit like an arse for doing this.

"Yes." she answered thickly. "What do you want, Harry?"

"Can Dobby prove it?" he challenged her knowing that he could initially and easily asked Dobby if 'Miss Hermione' had been in the kitchens and he was sure that he was never going to lie to him.

Not to him.

Even Kreacher won't lie to him – most especially not Kreacher because he was bound to him as his master.

For a moment, she only looked at him and with snotty look over her face she nodded at him.

"Yes." she said with an air of defiance about her. "Would you like to go there now and ask them?"

He looked at her, taken aback by her attitude.

"I'm sorry." he genuinely said. "I've been having another dream. I couldn't sleep. I didn't mean to sound this way."

She looked back at him and nodded, now she only looked worried at him.

"Get some sleep." Hermione told him. "Isn't that what professor McGonagall advised you? Our first class isn't until nine tomorrow, you can get a bit more sleep until later. I can save you some breakfast since I have Muggle Studies at eight."

Harry nodded at her and thanked her and easily let her pass this time.

Just before she turned to her dormitory, Harry called her back.

"You believe in me, right?" he asked her unable to stop himself. "What I tell you and Ron?"

She looked back at him and for a moment, Harry was almost sure that she was going to deny him judging by the look in her eyes.

"Ofcourse, I do." Hermione answered him with a small smile spreading from her face. "That's what friends do, right?"

He stared and then nodded at her and bid her goodnight.

And as he just retired back to his bedroom instead of going to the Common Room, he realized something as he fell back into an uneasy sleep.

What she had said – he suddenly wasn't sure if it was an affirmation that she believed in him or if it was a sort of obligation that she wanted to tell him that she and Ron had to do in the name of their friendship.

Harry was distressed enough to think about the exhausting day they were going to have that he was no longer able to go back to sleep when he woke up at around six that morning.

He cleaned, dressed and got himself ready deciding to visit Hagrid after breakfast since he knew that he won't have any class to teach until eleven that morning.

At breakfast, the talk was nothing else but Lucius Malfoy who was given a pardon and was being expected to arrive at the school that day together with other school governors concerning what was spreading as a closed door meeting with the headmaster.

Harry and Ron spent the first hour of free period by the boys' locker room at the Quidditch where Oliver was initially stationed for the try outs in the coming week in his search for the project he had been given.

This was the first time they get to spend time with their old friend without being harassed by a class schedule or him being asked to spend it at McGonagall or Madam Hooch's office who were both helping him in the project.

They learned that halfway through the year, he would be expected to leave as an application in position at Bulgaria with a chance to work with none other than Viktor Krum was on its way for a final document approval.

They were very proud of him.

And by the end of their talk, Harry and Ron invited him to a butterbeer on them to celebrate this joyous little secret that he had not shared to anyone else except the headmaster and McGonagall.

Harry and Ron swore not to tell anyone and their excitement for it had been plastered over their faces as they walked back up the castle only to be greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arriving both Bill and Fleur.

Deciding that they could afford to miss the few minutes of their first class, they quickly walked up to them.

Mrs. Weasley was more than glad to take them in her arms and then berated them for not being in the class knowing that most of the students were in their classes at that hour.

Ron explained to her the free period but she barely listened as she asked how they were doing and that they were there for the headmaster.

Mr. Weasley didn't seem pleased to hear her tell them why they were there but nevertheless, he was glad to see both boys.

Harry and Ron didn't ask but seeing Bill and Fleur with them, they knew that their presence had something to do with Lucius Malfoy's expected arrival that day and had something to do with the Order of the Phoenix.

This was proven when in just a few minutes, Lupin had arrived with none other than Cornelius Fudge.

They were both seemingly in an intense discussion with Fudge shoving a newspaper article in his hand that which he quickly took and kept out of sight upon the realization that Harry and Ron were at the entrance door with the rest of the Weasleys.

"Professor!" Harry excitedly exclaimed walking to his favourite teacher but he only gave a curt nod at him.

"Shouldn't you be in your classes?" he asked him almost sternly.

Harry blinked and he stared at the others who seemed oblivious to Lupin's recent treatment towards him.

"Free period." Ron answered him knowing that Harry was back at the issue again in his head. "But we have Defense Against the Dark-"

"No." Lupin cut him short. "It wasn't cancelled. It was announced at breakfast. Were you not there?"

They were there.

It wasn't announced.

And Lupin wasn't at breakfast.

Despite the oddities, Harry ignored it and was just glad that they didn't have to deal with Laura Veregnicea as their first period.

"Well we can stay at the library." Ron told Harry. "We can finish reading the essay for Snape before our class at ten-"

"Professor Snape, Ron." Lupin corrected him and looking back at Harry he said, "Severus won't be at class today. There won't be Potions this morning. There is a staff meeting. Some school governors are present and also the Minister of Magic is here."

"Fudge is here?" Ron asked with interest. "Why is he here?"

"Some Ministry business with the school." Lupin simply answered. "So better be at your best behavior, you lot." Lupin said with a smile over his face.

Lupin had explained that Severus would be attending a short emergency meeting with the rest of them and that they could happily spread the news to their other classmates that he won't be having classes until two that afternoon before the Quidditch match.

Despite the questions in their heads, Harry had taken Ron with him to go back to the Common Room and quickly share the news to Hermione whom they knew would be waiting for them since the two classes for the rest of the morning were now officially cancelled.

She would surely be displeased, but they would have time to study for the other subjects and they were sure that Hermione also wanted that though she'd never admit it.

The hours had gone, ticking by slowly by every minute of it and Harry felt that he didn't want to do anything else today but go back to the dormitory and get some sleep.

The headache he had been having since morning was getting worse because of the lack of sleep he had the previous night.

"Has anyone seen Hermione?" Ginny asked Ron and Harry who had a free period as she passed them by at the Great Hall that was filled with studying students.

"Library." Ron answered without looking up from the chart he was completing. "She said she'll stay there until lunch or before the match or something. She's doing some reviewers or something."

"Harry, you want to join us at the library?" Ginny asked him. "I just need to submit something at professor Flitwick's class then I might head straight to the library if Luna isn't going to see me to study by the lake."

"I'll follow, I guess." Harry said looking up momentarily from his own chart. "I need to finish something. I'll see you there."

"Alright." Ginny answered and before walking away, she pointed over Ron's chart telling him he copied a whole row incorrectly so he had to repeat it all over again.

"I need Hermione for this." Ron said sighing heavily as Ginny walked away. "You want to find her in the library now?"

Harry stared at his finished work and though he was almost sure that it was very correct, he wanted to see Hermione first before submitting it.

"Sure." Harry said as they both began gathering their things to go to the library and meet Hermione.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" Hermione said quickly turning away upon accidentally walking in on Draco and Laura who were at the end of the library.

He looked surprised as she did but Laura looked calm at the sight of her.

"Miss Granger." she greeted pointing she could join them by the long table at the end of the library. "You finished with what I asked of you?"

"Yes." Hermione said trying to ignore the look that Draco was giving her as she walked towards the.

Laura only nodded at her as she opened her bag and pulled out a thick envelope from her bag.

"Nothing after the year you have, professor." Hermione said as she stepped back from the table and Laura read the label of dates over the thick envelope that Hermione had written over.

"I could do more research, professor." Hermione offered her. "I haven't checked the archives on-"

"This will do." Laura had said putting the envelope inside her black bag that she had only seen for the first time. "Mr. Malfoy would deal with the rest of it."

Hermione nodded and an uncomfortable look passed her features at the idea of having to work on something with Draco.

But if she looked uncomfortable, Draco looked worried all the same.

"Does this mean I have to bring her with me?" Draco asked unable to stop himself as he stood up from the table, folding his arms and eyeing Hermione.

Laura stared at either of them and quickly realized that she did not only put a Slytherin and Gryffindor together but had definitely put two people together who weren't in good terms.

"Are you sure the two of you can work together?" Laura asked them both with a stark look in her eyes as she folded her arms again.

Hermione and Draco's eyes met and though she didn't want to, she wasn't going to back out just because this was Draco Malfoy.

"I can do my part professor." Hermione said giving Draco a cold stare. "As long as Malfoy doesn't do any funny business."

Draco stared back at her, a spark in his eyes gleamed as he judge her with a glare but he didn't say anything.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Laura asked him. "Can you work with Miss Granger?"

Draco didn't say anything.

It wasn't like he had a choice at all and after all, this was better than getting a real detention.

"I'm fine." Draco muttered looking away from Hermione. "I'll do my part but tell her not to go and be nosy on how I do it."

"Miss Granger?" Laura slowly asked her, observing Hermione's features.

She looked like she wanted to protest on Draco's accusation but she nodded.

"I can work professionally, professor." Hermione said with a quick nod. "I can work with Malfoy."

Laura stared at them, unsure if believed them both but she would rather take chances on two people with enough pride to prove themselves than two friends who were likely to work against her at the end of it.

"Fine." Laura simply said taking her bag with her. "You can begin anytime you wish. I'll see you after the practice match."

Before either of them could say anything, Laura had walked away from them without looking back, without a word.

Draco stared back at Hermione, watching her carefully and Hermione felt uncomfortable under his gaze.

She gathered her things altogether, aware of Draco's eyes still on her.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"Archives." Hermione said as she began heading to the left corridor. "That's where I'll begin."

Draco watched her walk away from him before rolling his eyes and deciding that she had a better chance of finishing this detention with her strategy.

Without much of a choice, he grabbed his things and followed her wordlessly.

"I'm hungry." Ron sighed as they walked out of their last class to meet Ginny at the corridor. "Reckon we should check on Hermione or just meet her for lunch?"

"Today is her detention, right?" Ginny said. "I heard it's today or something. They have no Muggle Studies so I think she was asked to be at detention."

"I think she'll just meet us over lunch." Harry said as they turned to the corridor and reached the staircase.

As like the other day, they were halted down the long and large corridor by a group of students all barred down the way.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked the first student they met down the corridor as Ravenclaws ran past them with a terrified look over their faces.

"Oy, what's going on?" Ron asked loudly as other students just passed them and were running at one same direction.

Harry looked around the spread of people all rushing down the stairs to see what had been going on.

"Luna!" Ron loudly said catching her through the crowd and grabbing her arm so she would stop by them.

"Oh, hi there." Luna calmly said smiling at them and moving with the crowd with them.

"What's goin on?" Harry asked as they walked down the corridor following the crowd.

"Don't know." Luna gently answered. "Heading there too to see for myself. I heard it's something gruesome."

The other three exchanged glares and Ginny quickly pulled Luna to walk faster while Ron and Harry paced forward and pushed their way through the crowd.

Just as they had reached the end of the corridor and near the stairs, Harry felt a heavy tug behind him.

He turned and saw Draco staring at him, walking down with the rest of his friends.

"What do you want?" Harry spat as he continued walking and Draco paced faster so he could walk by Harry's side.

"Nothing." Draco simply told him. "Just a little amused about all these. You're in for a ride this year, Potter."

Harry tried to ignore him but his words seemed to mean something.

"That's great." Harry muttered eyes flashing at him. "Coming from a boy who's father is in Azkaban?"

A sharp gleam passed Draco's face but it quickly vanished.

He smirked at Harry.

"Who told you?" he asked him with a boastful smile. "Who told you he's staying there for long? For all you know, he's out of Azkaban sooner than you can say Quidditch."

And before Harry could even retort, Draco had pushed students out of his way and moved forward, disappearing in the crowd of students.

Harry turned to Ron and was about to say something when they both felt a tap on their shoulders.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked them both. "I was at detention after my library work."

Ron quickly filled Hermione up of what was going on and before Harry could join the conversation, he stopped walking.

Ron and Hermione did a double take and walked back to him trying to avoid the crowd walking past them.

"He's here." Harry quietly said pointing over Draco's shoulder at the far end of the crowd where Draco's sleek blonde hair stood in the crowd.

"Who?" Hermione and Ron said together looking at the direction he was pointing at.

"The man. The one I'm telling you about." Harry said as they pulled them aside to let the crowd pass. "Behind Draco. He's staring at us – he's staring at me."

Hermione and Ron stared around the crowd but could barely see anyone who wasn't in uniform or wasn't a student.

"Students should not be here!" they heard McGonagall's loud voice around the crowd. "Oh, Sybill!"

They all looked around and saw teachers coming in to the end of the stairs.

"I saw this! I saw that the omen was coming!" she was right behind McGonagall and was scared to her wits. "Minerva, I told you – someone had brought in the omen and it is now here with us! The headmaster should have listened-"

"Calm down, Sibyll you will alarm the students." McGonagall hissed at her as she pulled her closer to her.

The trio followed through McGonagall and Trelawney's way through the crowd as they were let pass by the students.

"Excuse me, make way." Hermione's voice rang into the crowd as they made it forward. "Excuse us."

Harry, Ron and Ginny and Luna soon came near them and all of them wore the same expression.

They reached the front and stared at Harry who was pointing at the wall – the exact corridor where the Chamber of Secrets' message had once been.

The same chills from that year returned to Harry but with a different kind of burden in his heart.

Whispers were heard and jaws dropped as they all stared by the wall where a very visibly written by blood was a message that could hardly be understood.

By despite of its language, it gave Harry and the rest of the crowd a certain chill through their bones just like the time when the chambers have been opened.

"La Mujer de Judas volver.." Harry whispered as he read the shining red letters. ".. Yo volver a mis enemigos y a esas yo atender.." he quickly looked back and walked to Hermione who was reading the same thing and was repeating it over her head.

"Hermione?" Harry slowly asked seeing her gaze closely at the written message.

The blood was coiled in scrawls and were dripping in fresh writing.

Hermione's eyes were trained and focused on the glimmering message by the way and as her eyes passed each word, Harry knew that she clearly understood what was written.

"The Woman of Judas returns.." Hermione whispered enough for her friends to hear her as they stared at the shimmering message by the wall. "I return..I return to my foes and to those –"

But Hermione stopped.

Another scream was clearly heard from the outside grounds.

A window from the corridor they were in showed something vague and yet vicious.

"Bloody hell." Ron gasped as the crowd's attention was this time diverted and some students started getting out of the corridor and out of the castle. "Isn't that Fudge's horse?"

A few other students gathered by the nearest window and saw the Minister of Magic's carriage horse that had brought him there earlier was running amok and running in havoc down the grounds.

"Look!" they were pointing as a very large and wild horse was suddenly running amok at the grounds. "Someone call the headmaster!"

Harry heard some people scream in the crowd and within moments he saw that McGonagall had come out of the grounds, wand drawn and was soon followed by professor Sinistra, professor Spout and professor Flitwick who had done the same thing.

They all ran down the steps and were trying to clear the crowd.

The large horse made blurs of sands in the ground as it wildly ran back and forth and was seemingly bearing and dragging something at the end of its other leg.

Harry tried to make or what he was seeing when Hagrid and Filch came pelting into the ground, pointing towards the wild horse

"What is it dragging?" he had asked looking closely at the horse, still wildly jumping in what seemed like pain and dragging a long and heavy object with it.

"No!" Hermione gasped, quickly covering her mouth when she realized what it was dragging. "Who is it dragging?" she cried out loud looking closely and everyone else did notice that it was dragging not an object but an actual person.

The horse had run amok and had dragged the person like a ragged doll from where it came from and up to the grounds and was evidently heading to the entrance of the castle.

"Out of the way!" boomed a large voice and everyone parted as the headmaster came striding towards the entrance hall with the wand in his hand.

He had waved it in one go and the horse had frozen in mid-action in the middle of the grounds, quickly silencing the whole of the school that was still in awe on what it had done.

"Minerva!" the headmaster said, quickly making a gesture for her to follow closely as they walked towards the frozen horse and to untie the ropes from its legs.

"It is hurt." Flitwick had said, checking the frozen part of the leg of the horse.

He looked closely and there was a long and deep gash at the side of its leg that was why it was going wild and the pain had been increased when the damaged leg was roped with a heavy object.

But it wasn't what made the whole scenario gruesome.

It was the fact that someone was indeed tied to its legs that had been dragged all the way across the grounds to the castle.

"Is it a student?" Ron whispered through the crowd as everyone tried to move forward to see a closer look of who it had dragged.

"Oh, god.." Hermione whispered closing her eyes and pointing discreetly to where Harry and Ron should look to see who it was.

Harry and the others looked on more closely and soon McGonagall and the headmaster quickly untied the rope and turned over the person that the horse had dragged all the way towards the grounds.

Hermione heard McGonagall made a sound as they turned over the body.

"Oliver Wood.." they heard McGonagall gasped through the crowd, clutching her chest as they turned over the body.

His hands were tied at the back with a bloody cloth and his leg has been previously injured before it had been tied to the running horse.

"To Madam Pomfrey." the headmaster quickly whispered after checking his very weak and waning pulse. "Carry him, quickly. Quickly!"

Some of the older students quickly moved forward to untie Oliver's bounded hands and mouth with the bloody cloths and tried their best to quickly untie his leg from the horse.

"Someone call Fudge, someone tell Madam Pomfrey first aid but said letter to , quickly!"

As the students attempted to carry Oliver Wood through, something came falling out from his pocket.

McGonagall moved forward to pick up what looked like a small bloody pouch.

Harry watched as she lifted it to the headmaster who opened it and spilled its contents in his hands.

"Silver coins." Hermione whispered watching the crowd watch all the coins roll down all over the floor.

"Albus?" McGonagall slowly asked, fear evident in her eyes.

"I want to see Severus." the headmaster said as he turned around the crowd looking for Snape. "Kindly look for Severus -"

"I'm here, headmaster." Snape's voice came out from nowhere from the crowd.

Harry stared as the crowd parted to give way to him and behind him was the Minister of Magic Fudge himself, some school governors and to his utter surprise, Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy.

"What are they doing here?" Ron whispered as he stared at Lucius who was obviously fresh and out of Azkaban.

"The same reason perhaps your parents are here." Hermione pointed out as out from the other corridor, Lupin had come out with Molly and Arthur Weasley right behind him.

"I thought they've left?" Ron whispered back trying to catch his parents' attention but to no use.

They were all staring at the bloody figure of Wood that was being taken from the ground.

Harry stared as Snape halted at the scene, his black eyes observant of the blood trail and cloth on the ground and then at the silver coins in the headmaster's hands.

"Gather all the staff." Dumbledore urgently told him. "I want a meeting now. All students – head back to their dormitories – we are going to hold the match and have- heads of houses please ather your students back to your dormitories and meet me at the-"

"Laura's not here." Snape suddenly said watching the headmaster closer and scanning the crowd diligently. "Headmaster, she's not here."

There came a flash of warning and alarm in the headmaster's eyes as he looked at Snape and then at the crowd.

For the first time, Harry saw a momentary panic spread across the face of the headmaster.

He had looked around and about, wand in hand and was searching for Laura within the crowd but she was nowhere in sight.

"Find her." Dumbledore simply said. "Find her, now. Quickly. Remus, where are you? Severus, accompany Remus and find-"

"I will, headmaster." Lupin said quickly scanning the crowd with disappointment in his face. "I will get her to your-"

"Headmaster I already told you about this." Snape's voice came as he stared at Lupin. "Chances that he would help us find her-"

"Severus –"

"He's helping her I think this is evidence enough for that matter." Snape said not holding his tongue by use of words in front of the crowd that remained. "I already told you- from the beginning that we cannot have her in the castle – Laura is-"

"Why can't I be in the castle?" asked a strong voice. "Why did I hear my name come out of your mouth again?"

Heads turned and bodies parted to give way.

Laura was walking towards them, arms folded over her chest and her eyes focused on Snape with such hatred she could kill him with it.

She took one glance at the crowd who stared at her in awe for a moment.

She was walking from the direction that Lupin had come from but her boots were somewhat dirtier than Lupin's.

Her eyes caught sight of Harry but she quickly looked away, arms folded she gave what looked like a smirk on her thin lips.

Her eyes were at the crowd as if searching for someone in them.

"I heard my name." Laura said as she walked forward as Oliver's body was taken away. "What is going on?"

"That's what we wanted to know from you." Snape quickly said. "We were-"

"Why is she here?" came a high pitch and scandalized voice.

They turned and to Harry's utter surprise, it was Narcissa Malfoy who had spoken.

She moved forward the crowd, eyes wide at the sight of Laura.

Her gleaming eyes turned from her then to the headmaster and back at Snape.

"Why is she here?" she asked with a certain tone in her voice and her eyes quickly moved around the crowd obviously searching for her son.

"Narcissa." Laura simply said staring at her with no indifference in her face or surprise. "I am apparently your son's mentor this year."

There was a smile in Laura's face that Narcissa, for some reason, heavily disliked.

A gleam of fear in her eyes passed very momentarily and her disbelief about the situation had been enormous and obvious.

But Laura remained her stance, staring at her and intimidating lady Malfoy.

"She can't be here!" Narcissa said turning to the headmaster. "You hired – she can't be – I thought you-"

"Enough of this, please." the headmaster had spoken eyeing the Heads of Houses to take their students away. "I want a word with you Laura. The rest of the staff please follow and Heads of House, kindly follow in the staff room once all your students are taken to their dormitories."

Harry followed through the crowd, following McGonagall who didn't look back at the situation anymore and firmly pressed on the Gryffindors to follow her without a word.

And as Harry turned, he could swear in Oliver Wood's dying form that Laura had followed the headmaster out of the crowd with Lupin behind her and the same man he had been seeing wearing a morose look over his face as he looked back at Harry and turned to follow Laura behind.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's Notes:**_ _**I AM ALIVE.**_ _**I AM REPOSTING MY AUTHOR'S NOTE YESTERDAY WHEN I UPDATED 'BEYOND THE VEIL' ANOTHER DRAMIONE.**_ _**I AM TRYING TO UPDATE ALL MY WORKS THIS WEEK SO HERE WILL BE MY A/N FROM YESTERDAY BEARING THE REASON WHY I WAS ON HIATUS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.**_ _**i have not abandoned any works, life just keeps getting on the way.**_ ___**this is also a short post but bear that is is quite meaningful and where the story is weaving through together.**_ ___**I have so many excuses for missing out on all my stories for the past weeks, and months or so.**_ ___**I have been flooded with work and with a lot of other 'does not make sense' kind of thing in my life right now.**_  
 _ **But most importantly and very recently, my father (godfather actually) passed away last October 5, 2018.**_ ___**He was supposed to turn 59 this November 1. He passed away due to some liver problem that was diagnosed of him two years ago. He was lucky to last for two more years after that diagnosis.**_ _**He is my godfather but he literally raised me up as the family lived under the same house. His wife is my aunt (mom's sister) and other than my grandma, i was closest to him.**_ _**He was an Impressionist Painter and he had a great impact and influence in my life. I always looked up to him and loved him dearly.**_ _**I was the last to see him in the hospital and after my visit ,he passed away the following morning.**_  
 _ **They say he might have been waiting for my visit.**_ _**I couldn't visit him on the first days he was taken into the hospital because of my own health risk at the moment; but i fought my way into seeing him late Friday night.**_ _**It saddens me gravely and the past two weeks is a struggle that I thought i would never endure again from the passing of my grandma last 2012.**_  
 _ **The pain of loss after death is the most inevitable and horrifying experience one will ever have.**_ _**His things are still all over our house, his studio still remained intact, untouched as he left everything.**_  
 _ **And it makes me cry every now and then to realize that he wasn't coming home anymore from a late night with his friends, dinner and sketching with other artists and all that.**_ _**That he wasn't coming back home for me to find him in his studio painting at the ungodly hours because that's the way he is.**_  
 _ **It makes me cry at the thought that i wasn't going to receive a morning message from him at my coffee mornings at my favourite cafes. That there will be no weekend visits at home from me where i'll spend it with him and mom and aunt for a brunch or so.**_ _**I will always miss him.**_ _**I'm sorry i had to burst that all our here cause it makes me feel extremely depress lately.**_ _**I had to miss so much into my writing and right now, my writing comforts me better than anything else in this world.**_ ___**Lots of love.**_  
 _ **let me know how all of you are ding**_ ___**sending love and light**_

 ** _Chapter Eight_**

 ** _A Legend_**

"The woman of Judas Returns.. I return to my foes and to those I heed."

Harry and Ron stared up at Hermione as she explained to them later that night what had been written on the wall, in a bloody message.

"Foreign language?" Harry asked her recognizing the possible origin. "Muggle foreign language?"

"Not specifically, Muggle." Hermione said. "This is common language even in the Wizarding World. But why would anyone use it?"

"Well, if she's a foreigner, she's going to use it." Ron said staring back at her with a raised brow and mock over his face. "I've heard of this legend somewhere."

Hermione knew what he was thinking and it was obvious that she didn't agree with him.

"It does not mean that it's a her-"

"'Woman' of Judas?" Ron asked her back with a tone. "Can that get any clearer?"

Hermione opened her mouth to retort but Harry stopped her and turned to the two of them.

"I return to my foes and to those I heed.." he repeated loudly but slowly. "She has enemies here?"

"And friends apparently." Ron said repeating the last part of the message. "What do you think?"

"I think that you're both right." Hermione truthfully answered them both. "But I also think that this could all be a hoax, a made up thing."

"Oliver Wood is then a made up accident and is just lucky to be alive?" Ron commented snottily.

Hermione shot him a look.

"I didn't say-"

"How is Wood?" Harry interrupted her. "They were able to bring him to the hospital in time?"

"Yes." Ron replied. "Dad said that they were also able to take him to St. Mungo's just in time. But he needs rest and is still unconscious."

"Unconscious?" Hermione asked, recalling the incident and injuries he might have procured.

"He has wounds and all." Ron explained. "But dad said that he was out and unconscious which tells the Healers that before he was even tied down to the horse, he was already bloody taken out by some sort of spell or something."

"Whose horse was it?" Harry asked him.

"The Minister's himself." Hermione pointed out. "He's here in an official Ministry business as I know of. Just like Lucius Malfoy."

"But to bring his wife?" Ron pointed back out. "We can't be sure on that business. But what I know is that it may have something to do with Lupin and the others here for an official 'Order' business. Too much of a coincidence, right?"

Neither of the two spoke, thinking hard about the events that took place for that day.

It were all too fast, too much of a coincidence if anything else.

"Did you get to talk to Lupin?" Ron asked Harry. "Were you not meaning to talk to him?"

"I haven't really got the time to really speak to him." Harry sadly told the other two. "I mean, I've tried – I really did – but he seems too busy or occupied or that-"

"He's avoiding you." Ron simply pointed out. "That's a possibility, Harry."

"Why would professor Lupin avoid Harry?" Hermione asked him, looking perplexed at the idea of it. "I mean, there's no reason – you two are really good with one another and you're his favourite student. So why would something like that –"

"I actually do feel like he is avoiding me." Harry cut her short. "I mean, I have thought it over and at first I was thinking it can be a mistake but I don't think so. I think he's avoiding me."

"They're staying until two more days." Ron pointed out looking worried towards Harry. "You have two days to try and figure it out or if it's all just in your head."

Suddenly, the door opened and in came Dean and Neville who both looked exhausted.

"What happened?" Hermione was quick to ask seeing their faces.

"Detention with that woman." Neville said they both heavily retired over the opposite couches. "I'm extremely tired and hungry."

"Stupid Veregnicea woman." Dean said looking around the others. "If I didn't know any better she hates Gryffindors."

"She hates everyone." Neville said with a weak smile. "It's like she has some personal vendetta against the school."

The trio looked at one another and although Hermione didn't say anything, the other two felt that she was ready to defend her again.

But Hermione didn't say anything, in fact, she looked like if she had something to say, she kept not only her mouth shut but the thought inside her head as if contemplating something about it.

"Maybe she has." Ron suggested. "She does not only seem to hate the school but the staff. I don't think she's in good terms with Snape-"

"But Snape has never been in good terms with any of the previous DADA professors – I don't think that because she's a woman, his thought on the subject would have changed-"

"Dumbledore seems to defend her though." Harry pointed out staring at them and waiting for Hermione to actually say something. "We saw him on that incident – Snape was ready to put her in the gallows but the headmaster seemed-"

"Reluctant." Dean said. "He seemed doubtful and worried of her, even. I did notice that."

"Well, whatever it is, it's none of our business." another snotty voice said.

They turned and saw Ginny in her pajamas and looking slightly annoyed at all of them.

"We should all get some sleep." Ginny said. "Another practice match tomorrow and don't we all have quizzes this coming week?"

Her eyes turned around and when she caught Hermione's face, she relaxed and so did Hermione.

It felt like they had an understanding of some sort that only the girls knew of.

Ron felt annoyed about it but he shrugged it and turned to the others.

"She's right, we should get some sleep." Ron said. "Should something attack us, we had a good sleep and we'd be alert."

One by one, the other agreed and they all went off to sleep and the last to leave the Common Room were Harry and Hermione who stared at one another like they had something more to say but thought better of it.

When Monday morning came, new rules were implemented for the students and staff of the school. And just like that, the trio and whole school felt that they were transported back a few years into the time where the Chamber of Secrets have been opened.

"Are they mad?" Ron asked as they were given leaflets of the new rules where the curfew were earlier and they were to be accompanied by Prefects or Head Boy and Girls at the late hours or close to late hours and the people who had late detention was to be escorted to and from by a teacher and back to their dormitory area where they will be met by rounding Prefect or Head Boy to be returned.

The age did not make any difference, nobody was to be excempted from the rules that were given.

And as the sixteen year old batch, Harry and the rest felt that this wasn't only annoying and childish but close to ridiculous.

"So the Order is staying?" Harry asked Hermione when he reached them by the grounds after their afternoon practice match.

"I heard Lupin will stay and some other members will be visiting frequently." Hermione answered him as she told them the news she got earlier from Ginny who had receive a note from their mother about the plan. "But I don't understand why Lucius Malfoy has to be here."

"Probably trying to know what's the headmaster going to do about this incident and will try to put him off it." Ron suggested. "It's not like he was not the one who started the problem with the chamber before, right?"

The two other were thoughtful as they sat by the bleachers, staring around the grounds and the other students.

"We should visit Hagrid." Harry suggested them. "If it's true that this is a legend, he must know something about it."

"I doubt it." Hermione was quick to say. "I checked the library over the weekend about it and there's nothing about it in the records."

"Newspapers dating back? Like way back around her age?" Harry asked her skeptically.

Hermione only shook her head, slowly standing up as someone approached them.

"How old do you think she is?" Ron asked them turning around to see who was coming over towards them across the grounds.

"Give or take Snape's or Lupin's age." Harry suggested, eyes narrowed as Draco Malfoy approached. "What do you want?"

He looked at them, a half amused expression over his pointed face.

"Not you, definitely." Draco mocked him looking then at Hermione. "You forgot about today's detention. We're half an hour late."

He pulled out a small, old-looking but expensive looking pocket watch from his robes and jiggled it in front of her.

Hermione's eyes quickly widened and before the others could say anything, she was on her feet and had closely jumped right next to Draco.

The other two looked stricken but Draco only smiled at the two as if he had won something over, the gloat very evident from his face.

"Well, we'll see you around." Draco simply said giving Harry and Ron another long look before turning to Hermione. "I'll wait at the usual place."

And with that, he turned from the three of them and started walking way, playing with the pocket watch in his hand as he did so.

"Something's not right about that." Ron said turning to Hermione and giving her a suspicious look. "Did you two not just have detention?"

"We have another one with professor Veregnicea." Hermione simply answered turning back to their things and grabbing her bag. "I guess I'll see you two at dinner."

They both looked at her, eyes narrowed.

"Hermione, you'd tell us if Malfoy is doing something wrong, right?" Harry asked her, a deep and worried expression over his face.

"Yes, ofcourse." Hermione said in a heart beat as she drew her wand out to show them. "its not like he's going to try anything."

They gave her a weak smile, aware of what she would do to the once ferret if he does try something to her.

"Be careful." Ron said and his tone was serious giving Hermione the impression that they were more than worried about her and the detention served with Draco Malfoy. "We'll wait for you over dinner."

Before she could leave though, Harry reached for her.

"Where's 'the usual place' Hermione?" he asked, unable to stop his curiosity. "The one where you'll meet him?"

And for a split moment, a look of fear passed Hermione's eyes as if Harry had asked a forbidden question.

She blinked and took her a moment to answer them.

"The library." Hermione simply answered. "Just the library. I'll see you two around."

And with that, she turned from them without another word nor another look back at them and the others already that for the first time, she was lying right through her teeth to the two of them.

 _"_ _Gryffindor, eh?" the voice was deep and yet sexy in a way. "Care to join us?"_

 _She looked up from her books by her corner at the library and stared at the four handsome young lands in front of her._

 _There was one who was good-looking with dark hair and spotless spectacles, next to him was a little stout and short boy who looked as innocent as he could be and the one next to him looked handsome yet thin a sad look about his eyes but looked the most smart amongst the four lads and the last one with a gloat and bright gleam in his face that was contrast to his dark eyes and hair stood the boy who spoke._

 _The Marauders._

 _Or that was what she heard they were called._

 _She already made a friend and her name was Lily Evans – a nice girl with reddish hair and bright green eyes._

 _And she was also the one who told her about these four who were always noisy and about around the school._

 _The five of them were already in their third year and she was an irregular third year transferee._

 _"_ _I'm Sirius Black." the most handsome boy from the lot said sitting over the table where she was studying and extending his hand to her. "And you are?"_

 _She closed her book and smiled back at him._

 _He smiled wider at her._

 _"_ _Not interested." she simpy said and the other two sniggered at Sirius as they watched her prepare her things to leave. "I'm sorry, I need to find a space to study and not really mingle right now. I have things to catch up on."_

 _"_ _I can help you with that." Sirius said blocking her way and looking over her bag and things. "I'm really one of the best in classes and-"_

 _"_ _I usually study alone." she replied with a kind smile. "If you'll excuse me, I do have to go."_

 _The three were amused and Sirius looked red in the face as he tried to follow her with his friends right behind him._

 _"_ _Not interested bro, let it go." she heard the boy named James whisper at his friend. "You better put this one down. Definitely not interested."_

 _"_ _You shut it orI'll tell Lily about that orange juice incident." Sirius threatened back at him._

 _James quickly shut up and recovered when Remus signaled them to keep quiet as he moved over gently to the girl and reached over the floor._

 _"_ _You left." he said blocking her way and handing her a parchment she accidently left behind._

 _"_ _Oh, thank you!" she was quick to say, eyes wide at the copy of class schedules she almost lost. "Thank you."_

 _She looked grateful and for the first time they saw her smile genuinely and Remus looked lost in her smile._

 _"_ _Latin America?" he asked her gently._

 _"_ _Venezuela." she answered him keeping the schedule back in her bag. "Transferee. My mother is English, though."_

 _"_ _So Latin America?" Sirius said reaching them and smiling at her in an way where he was obviously trying to impress her._

 _"_ _What do you think you dimwit?" James said nudging him over the stomach. "This is why you don't get the smart girls and Remus does."_

 _They all laughed at him and the girl restrained herself further but she couldn't help but smile at the way they talked to one another._

 _By the looks of it, they were already very close friends and she was no longer wondering why Lily Evans talked to them the way she did to when they first met and she briefed her about the school._

 _"_ _Remus Lupin." Remus said extending his hand to hers. "Both English parents. It's nice to meet you."_

 _"_ _Nice to meet you too." she answered and they were all in awe when she took his hand and shook it back._

 _Sirius looked jealous but he also looked ready to mock Remus Lupin for getting to the girl the first time before he did._

 _"_ _I'll see you around, Remus." she said giving him a smile, a blush evident over her face._

 _As she turned, she heard them mock and woo their friend at the way she had responded._

 _She started walking away but she heard the other boy still going after her._

 _"_ _Hey!" Sirius had yelled at her. "Do you play Quidditch?"_

 _And she turned, and before she knew it, something glistening and fast was pelting right at her face._

 _"_ _NO!" she heard the other boys scream too stop Sirius but it was too late and he threw the Golden Snitch right at her face._

 _Her eyes were wide, face red in surprise and before they all knew it, she had raised her hand and caught the snitch right at it before it hits her face, effortlessly._

 _The boys quick ran towards her, gathered and staring afraid and apologetic back at her._

 _One game might have gone too far._

 _The four of them looked afraid of her as she stood, expressionless with the snitch struggling inside the palm of her hand._

 _"_ _I'm sorry." Sirius was quick to say and he did indeed looked very sorry. "I didn't. I'm sorry – I-"_

 _"_ _If you ever do that again, I'm going to slit your throat." she slowly whispered enough for them to hear as she gently handed it back to his hand, eyes not leaving him. "Please don't ever do that again."_

 _If it was a real threat, they weren't sure._

 _But Peter looked close to wetting himself already and Sirius looked both embarrassed and afraid for what he did._

 _"_ _He didn't mean it." Remus was quick as he walked forward to protect his friends. "Let me apologize for them, please."_

 _He reached over gently, eyes not leaving her._

 _Her eyes moved from Sirius and then back at Remus._

 _And without warning, she suddenly burst out into a loud and friendly smile at them._

 _She was an insane as they were as James concluded._

 _"_ _Is this how you greet people at Gryffindor?" she said with a smile to assure them she was alright and everything was good. "It's all cool. That was pretty cool."_

 _"_ _You play?" James asked her as they all relaed again, smiling back at her._

 _He had observed how fast her eyes and her reaction had changed milli-second into realizing what was going to happen and what was going to hit her._

 _Her reflexes were natural and she was sporty enough to look like she was into the sport._

 _"_ _A little of this and that." she simply answered him. "I'll see you guys around."_

 _And she smile and them and turned away leaving the four of them scared and impressed as hell all at the same time._

 _And as they walked back to their classes, James and Sirius noticed one detail that was missed by Peter and Remus himself._

 _The girl was interested and for the first time, not with Sirius Black but with their smartest friends and probably one of the smartest arse the Gryffindor House would ever have._

"AZKABAN OUT OF CONTROL: Confirmed today by the Ministry of Magic that there have been another break out."

The Daily Prophet read over breakfast and people were talking about the contents that following morning.

The Gryffindor table was ofcourse most worried and the Slytherin didn't even looked bothered by the news of it.

"I have to go, I have class." Hermione said as she began leaving the table earlier than the other two. "I'll meet you at nine."

"I thought you have no 8am class on Tuesdays?" Ron said skeptically looking back at her.

They were becoming too suspicious over her latest agendas and different schedules that what they know of.

"I have." Hermione said quickly packing her things away. "I'll see you at Hagrid's."

And before they could do anything, she already left them.

They were going to discus and argue about it when Harry's eyes caught something.

Draco Malfoy was leaving the Slytherin table, earlier than his friends and went off to the back door direction without anyone else with him.

"I'll be back." Harry quickly said tapping Ron at the back. "I'll see you 9 at Hagrid's."

"Wait – what?" Ron called back at him, perplexed at being left behind by his two friends.

Harry was quick.

He quickly went off towards the direction that Hermione did and to his surprise, Hermione was no longer within sight by he could swear he had seen the last bit of view of Draco's blonde head disappear to the direction she possibly could have.

"Malfoy?" Harry whispered, quick to hide himself and follow the two of them down a corridor that didn't exactly lead to any classroom or the library.

It led straight to the corridor that would lead towards the staircase that led to the kitchens.

He followed through, not seeing either of them from the long walk he was making.

And then he heard it.

The humming melody again.

Harry stopped, eyes quick around him as he realized how far he'd gone down the corridor and he was alone again.

He had just realized that this one corridor turned and connected to the other pathway and if he was correct, to his right was the place where the writing on the wall had been.

And Harry walked forward, knowing in his head he was fuck as hell if thee was another attack.

He walked and turned to the corridor.

The humming melody had vanished and there was no body on the floor.

He almost relaxed, almost.

He hated this corridor.

Because at the other end of the corridor where the glistening writing of blood on the wall had been, was the same dark-haired man and he was standing and staring right at him, arms extended to a direction he had been egging him to from the first day that he had been seeing his man.


End file.
